Turn Back Time
by RipSlayer
Summary: Bonnie attempts what is supposed to be a harmless spell on Caroline, instead however, she ends up sending Caroline back in the past. A thousand years in the past, where vampires don't exist, but Mikaelsons most certainly do.
1. Turn Back Time

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world, the idea, probably even the plot of this story, but I am obsessed with it...**

 **Sorry that I'm not updating my other stories as much as I should be, but I've had this idea for ever, and I don't think it will go away unless I write it down.**

 **Just a quick briefing; I am just a normal person obsessed the The Originals (TVD) and Klaroline.**

 **Don't worry other chapters will be longer, this is just a filler chapter to get me to where I need to be**

Caroline was trying to work out how her life had changed so much in the last year and a bit. It really all started the night when the Gilberts went of Wickery bridge. They'd been driving back from a party and the roads were icy, the car swerved and the car went off, with Grayson and Miranda in, as well as their daughter, Elena. She was the only survivor, and for a long time her survival was the town's biggest mystery. For the non-informed, it still is. The real reason, a vampire, Stefan Salvatore.

That was how everything started, and from there it just escalated, from Stefan there was Damon, then Katherine, and Doppelgangers, and werewolves, witches, ghosts. Then there were the originals, or probably to be more correct, are the originals. Elijah is the only one they'd met so far. Klaus is the one they hope they'll never meet.

Lets talk about the originals then, they are a mystery, nobody knows how many, their faces, about two weeks ago, Caroline had been convinced they were a myth. Now that was a wish thought about as birthday candles were blown out. The irony in that. Birthday candles for her, a dead girl, a vampire.

So why were the originals a problem? What did they want in Mystic Falls? The answer is simple, it is what the answer always is. Elena Gilbert. Klaus wanted her blood so that he could solve the sun and the moon curse. A curse which restricted vampires and werewolves power, made it so vampires were weakened by the sun, and werewolves could only be turned by the full moon.

Yes, a lot had happened in the past year and a bit.

Caroline was trying to act normal, Bonnie had discovered a plan which could kill Klaus, a dangerous plan which the group did not want Elijah knowing about, in case he turned around and decided he still loved his brother - yes Elijah and Klaus are brothers, thousand year old vampire brothers, just your every day stuff.

They all knew Klaus would be in Mystic Falls soon, if he wasn't already, but life still went on, and they were still at school. Or to be specific first period history with their vampire hunter and friend teacher, Alaric Saltzman. Who for probably the first time in his life was late. Eventually he stumbled in, walking over to his desk and putting his hands down on it.

"Hello class," He said as he walked in with papers in his hand, "What are we learning today?" He asked, was that rhetorical or?

Aubrey replied, "With the decade dance we've been covering the sixties all week," Caroline tried to stop herself from glaring at the stuck up, teacher's pet bitch, at least relishing in the fact that she knew Alaric didn't like her.

"Right," He replied, "The sixties," He paused as he turned to face the board, his eyes catching sight of Elena, causing him to stop and stare. The second sign something was off with Ric.

"Wish there was something good I could say about the sixties," Alaric joked as he moved on, "Actually they kind of sucked," Now that was the third sign of something being up with Ric, he probably wasn't even alive during the sixties, definitely not even alive, however Caroline let it go as him being nervous about Klaus' impending arrival, and the chaos that would cause. Alaric looked round the class again, this time stopping on Caroline, he paused again, in a similar way he'd done to Elena, his eyes widened in shock before narrowing as he muttered something so quiet even a vampire couldn't hear it and carried on.

The rest of the lesson was weird, it almost didn't seem like Ric, but again it could just be passed off as nerves, and considering her own feelings, Caroline was quick to let him off.

After school they all returned to Elena's house, and went to her room, Bonnie requesting that she can try a heart stopping spell on Caroline. Yes, a heart stopping spell, again ironic considering Caroline's heart wasn't actually beating, you know, vampire and all. But she needed to practice so she could help fight off Klaus, and considering it wouldn't exactly kill her Caroline agreed. Tentatively, one might add.

Caroline lay down in a circle of salt, and closed her eyes, "Cor Prohibere! Cor Prohibere!" Bonnie chanted, each time getting louder and louder, until Caroline felt her heart grow heavier, and was knocked out cold. Bonnie stopped the chanting, realising her spell had worked, and began working on reversing it, as it is impossible to stop a heart which does not beat, the effect of the spell was slowing down the blood flow around her body, it wouldn't kill Caroline, but wasn't exactly the most pleasant.

'Tunc e converso! Tunc e converso!" Bonnie chanted again, stopping as Elena gasped loudly, "What?" She said, slightly annoyed at her friend for interrupting her incantation, however as she turned her head the words stopped in her throat.

Caroline was gone. And Bonnie had no idea where.


	2. To The Good Old Days

**Disclaimer: Five hours later (at time of writing since release of first chapter) - still somehow don't own TVD, klaroline, time travel,**

When Caroline awoke it was not a pleasant wakening. She was face down in wet grass, birds were humming and as she looked around she found herself in a forest, one not too familiar of the area of Mystic Falls. Hearing voices she quickly stood up,

"Nik, please can we go to the Falls?" A girl's voice begged,

"Look Bekah, I would its just father," The man's voice trailed off and Caroline caught her first glimpse of the duo.

"Look." Caroline heard the girl say in hushed tones, the pair walked forwards further, towards Caroline, who stood awkwardly waiting for an inevitable encounter.

"Hello miss," The man started, he was medium height, but a lot taller than the girl, he had long blonde hair which was flowing down to his shoulders, he wore a white vest with something similar to a brown dress over it, clothes which Caroline recognised as not being from her time, the girl too was dressed in similar attire in terms of the era, a plain coloured dress, she also had long blonde hair, flowing free, the girl was on a horse, and the man was leading his walking next to the girl one hand on her horse protectively. "May I ask what you are doing out here so deep in the woods alone?" He asked politely,

"I," Caroline sputtered, "I'm sorry, where exactly am I?" She asked hopeful to get a better grasp of the situation Bonnie had put her in with that stupid spell.

"Mystic Falls miss," The man returned, Caroline frowned slightly, she had grown up in Mystic Falls, and this was not it, her times as a vampire, hunting innocent rabbits had shown her even the surrounding areas. Then came the realisation. She was not a vampire, she was cold, and could feel her own heart beating. What the hell had Bonnie done? Two and two together came to the conclusion that perhaps this was Mystic Falls. I mean time travel isn't the craziest thing to be thought of right? I mean if you can have vampires and witches then why not.

"I can't quite remember how I got here, I was running." Caroline invented, knowing she was probably not holding the proper etiquettes of her current time but attempting to play the act as a bewildered child,

"From the wolves?" The girl asked curiously,

"Bekah!" The man replied quickly, obviously slightly wary of talking about 'the wolves',

"Yes," Caroline replied thankful for the girl for giving her a good excuse,

"Alone?" The man asked curiously, obviously a woman alone at the time was rare,

"I was with my parents, but then the wolves came and," She trailed off hoping that they would understand the implication of their death. The man helped 'Bekah' off her horse due to her requesting so, and she walked over to Caroline, putting a comforting hand in her own,

"You should come with us, miss, we shall take you to our village if you permit us so." The man added, holding the horses still so they wouldn't go away,

"I suppose, I have nowhere else, thank you kind sir," Caroline gratefully replied, attempting to be proper,

"Take my horse miss, I insist." The man said with a small kind smile, walking the horses over to them, allowing the girl to hold her own and he helped Caroline onto his own, despite her half-hearted protests,

"If you are extending such kindness onto me, please may I have your names?" Caroline asked, curious and hopeful to stop referring to them in her head as 'the man' and 'the girl',

"Of course miss, I am Niklaus, but please call me Nik, and this is my sister, Rebekah," He introduced them to her,

"Thank you Nik I am perfectly capable of introducing myself," His sister, Rebekah, intervened, causing Nik to send her a look, obviously the correct etiquette is not the woman introducing herself.

"I am Caroline." Caroline cut in, hopeful to avoid a minor argument.

The two girls now being a top horses, Nik slowly walked along side them both, a hand on each horse's reins guiding them.

"So, Caroline, where were you from before?" Rebekah asked,

"Bekah, you really think she wants to talk about that now," Niklaus stopped her, causing Rebekah to blush red at her insensitivity,

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't think-"

"Its quite alright, I was from a small town, quite a long journey away, you wouldn't have heard of it." Caroline offered Rebekah a smile to show her that there were no hard feelings, feeling slightly guilty herself that she'd made Rebekah feel bad from a lie. "Do you have any other siblings?" Caroline asked, attempting to move the conversation on.

"Yes," Niklaus replied quickly, grateful that Caroline held no resentment towards his sister, "We have four brothers, two of them older than us, two of them younger than us, the youngest - Henrikh is practically a babe." Niklaus said with a small smile, which faded a way, "Our parents eldest, our sister Freya died before our birth." Rebekah looked down, sad at the thought of the sister she could have had. They drifted into a comfortable silence, until at last Nik said, "We're almost here," he smiled slightly at the sight of Caroline, sleeping on the horse's neck. A smile not missed by his sister Rebekah. Who in turn smiled at the thought of her brother finding happiness.

Nik helped Rebekah off her horse, tying it to a post in the stables, before turning to Caroline who was still asleep, drained by the day she'd had. After also tying her horse up, he lifted her off the horse, slowing as she stirred slightly, only to fall back asleep. With Rebekah he started the small walk to their house, it was dark enough that most were inside, the siblings had been delayed by their encounter with Caroline, and on her accord rode slightly slower as she was not used to riding a horse bareback. As they reached the house, the siblings in comfortable silence, Rebekah mentioned to Niklaus to wake Caroline and give her time to recuperate slightly before meeting their father.

He gently brought Caroline to her feet, Caroline blushed slightly as she realised that she'd fallen asleep and that Nik had carried her over, leaning into him for support she started to stand tall, murmuring a thank you, which he returned with a smile. "You shall meet our parents?" He said, silently asking if she was ready, she nodded and the three entered the house,

"Niklaus!" A voice thundered, but before it could say anymore Niklaus said softly,

"We have company, father," Niklaus and Rebekah's father, Mikael, they'd said his name was, entered the room, he schooled his scowl into a slight grimace, before taking in Caroline, finding himself surprisingly happy with her. She would make a great wife for one of his sons. "We found her in the woods, father, the wolves got her family." Niklaus said, Rebekah's arm lay comfortingly on Caroline's, who looked down, "I was hoping we'd be able to play host for a night or more, until we can find her a home? Her name is Caroline." Nik asked his father, his eyes slowly meeting Mikael's trying to hide his fear that Mikael would get angry and disagree.

"Of course boy," He snarled slightly, before returning to a normal voice, Niklaus hiding his flinch and ignoring the sad look Rebekah was sending his way, "Who am I to turn down a damsel in distress."

Caroline curtseyed, "Thank you kind sir, your help is greatly appreciated, I hope I can assist you in whatever work you need, and not be in your way." She stared at Mikael, trying desperately to hide her instant hatred of the man, she'd seen the effect he'd had on Niklaus, who'd only shown kindness to her. Mikael smirked slightly,

"Of course, now Rebekah do you wish to show her to your room, I am sure Niklaus would be fine lending his area to Caroline." Caroline's eyes widened and before she could protest to taking Nik's area was led away by Rebekah, who understanding of her father's mood took Caroline out of the picture, sending a regretful look to Nik as she was aware her father would not be going easy on him tonight.

The two jumped as they heard a door bang behind them, another look back proved that Niklaus and Mikael had gone outside. Rebekah turned her head down. "He changed when my sister died, according to Finn, my eldest brother, he used to better, kinder, but Freya died, and with her his goodness. He shows his anger mainly to Niklaus now. He's never liked him very much, says he is not a man enough. Not a warrior, too childish." Rebekah quietly informed Caroline as they entered a larger room, sleeping bodies were on the floor and Rebekah led Caroline to what was presumably Niklaus' bed, she gave Caroline some of her own clothes then showed her a place she could change with no one able to see her, and doing the same after Caroline. As she walked back to her own bed, Rebekah whispered "Goodnight Caroline," gaining no response from the girl who was already asleep.

Rebekah however lay awake waiting for Niklaus to enter the room, listening to the shouts and attempting to muffle out her brother's cries. Elijah too had awoken but neither dared speak a word too each other, scared their father would somehow hear, and not wanting to invoke his rage on to them with the mood he was in. Eventually Mikael walked in, holding Niklaus by the ear and shoving him down in the corner. He muttered words into his ear angrily, before storming out into a different room, one he shared with his wife, Esther. Niklaus spent the night in the corner shaking, Rebekah too scared to go over to give him comfort.

However all was not sad, as the arrival of Caroline had showed Rebekah that their was hope for her brother, that he could be happy, she made him happy.


	3. When

**Disclaimer: I own... wait no thats wrong I DO NOT own TVD/TO/KC/ anything... :(**

 **ps CORDWAINER - is someone who makes new shoes from new leather**

Caroline awoke early to the sounds of a girl's hushed voices, Elena? No, she was blonde. Then it all came flooding back. Bonnie's spell, time jump, Nik and Rebekah, Mikael as well.

"I'm to go and help my mother with breakfast, do you wish to join us?" Rebekah asked, and Caroline, remembering what she'd said to Mikael last night, agreed with a very undignified yawn, causing Rebekah to have to snuffle out a snigger so that she wouldn't awake her brothers. Rebekah handed Caroline some of her clothes, which Caroline gratefully accepted, and waited for her as she changed before the made their way to a kitchen of sorts.

"You must be Caroline," came a gentle voice from Caroline's right as she entered the room, startling her, the voice laughed kindly, "Its alright dear, I'm Esther, Rebekah and Niklaus' mother." Esther told Caroline, she'd evidently been briefed last night by Mikael after he'd been with Nik.

"Yes," Caroline curtseyed at Esther, "Thank you very much for allowing me to stay here." Esther smiled kindly,

"Of course dear." It was clear where Niklaus got his kindness from, and by that I mean not Mikael.

"How can I help?" Caroline asked, and she was ushered to where Rebekah was working on grinding some herbs, as Esther cooked something on a fire.

Soon the meal was ready and was laid on a table, the boys were ushered in, all taking their time to look at Caroline. Niklaus smiled at her, and Caroline smiled back, despite being upset to see a new cut on his face, carved by a blade and most likely Mikael's doing.

Finn was tall, dark haired but he seemed quite arrogant in ways, and superior. Elijah was also dark haired, slightly taller than Nik but smaller than Finn, he seemed quite proud but familiar in a way that Caroline could not put her finger on, it was mildly amusing though, that she went back a thousand years and there was Elijah, named the same as a murderous, yet somehow honourable original vampire. It was however, with no debate needed simply a coincidence. Just a coincidence. Kol was the youngest other than Henrik who was apparently still sleeping soundly in Mikael and Esther's room, he seemed cocky like Finn, but more youthful and cheeky than superior, he reminded Caroline of Tyler when he was younger, a bit of a jerk (a bit being a nice way to put it) but someone who had potential to be better, to be a good person. Then again maybe Kol could surprise her and be nothing like Tyler, however something told her otherwise.

Breakfast passed uneventfully, Mikael did not even look at Niklaus, and Caroline barely spoke unless asked a question, a little nervous to intervene. After eating the Finn, Elijah and Mikael went out hunting, Mikael snidely leaving Niklaus behind despite him being old enough to go. Caroline found that the more time spent with Mikael the more she hated the man for his obvious disgust in his own son. Caroline and Rebekah were left to clean up as Esther hurried to feed a crying Henrik, Niklaus and Kol sat at the table, Nik teaching Kol to chisel. Nik seemed quite artistic in the way he drew intricate drawings in some of the wood, before scraping them out in fear of his father seeing. There was a freedom to him which could only be revealed without Mikael around, a freedom which Caroline hoped to see more of.

After cleaning up, Esther had returned, and the women began to sew some new clothes for Caroline, who was very gracious at the materials being used on her, and thankful that she didn't have to steal more clothes from Rebekah. "Your old clothes were very odd," Rebekah stated looking over at Caroline, "You could expect them to be worn by men even." She added, before being hushed by her mother.

After a pause Caroline had constructed a response which seemed reasonable enough, "When I was running I'd ruined all my dresses with mud and dirt and the only clothes I could find were men's so I took them as the alternative was a lot less dignified." Rebekah once again looked down feeling guilty at reminding Caroline of the death of her parents, Caroline quickly sent Rebekah another small smile, hating how she'd already made Rebekah feel ashamed because of a lie. Esther nodded but did not comment and the room was settled in a comfortable silence of work. The sound of wood being chiseled next to the sound of fabric being sewn.

"Niklaus," Esther started, "Is there any chance you could go down to the cordwainers with Caroline, we can make her clothes in plenty, but shoes on the other hand are a lot harder." Esther smiled at her son who readily agreed, Caroline was required so the size was correct."

The two left the house, Caroline wrapped in Rebekah's coat, and wearing her shoes. The two did not require a horse as the cordwainers was not too far away, they walked together, ignoring the stares of the villagers who did not know the new girl and arrived at the cordwainers with in ten minutes. After the shoemaker had measured Caroline's feet and had the required measurements to make shoes the two left, required to return in two days to pick up the items.

The walk home was less eventful. The sight of Elena threw Caroline off guard causing her to trip, only to be caught by Nik, who, after being assured that she was okay chuckled at Caroline's clumsiness, before he too caught sight of Elena.

"Tatia," he whispered to Caroline, who quickly snapped to the present, right, of course, one thousand years back but there she was, yet another doppelganger. "She's kind of seeing Elijah, but my father does not know. If he did, he'd be furious. If I'm being honest with you miss Caroline, she is not the nicest person, I would stay clear of her if I was you. She plays Elijah like a fool whilst seeing another man on the side. Not that my brother is unaware of the fact that he is not the only courter of her, but she makes him believe that he is the most important to her, yet to the other men she'll persuade them of the same fact." Considering her own experience with Katherine Pierce, another doppelganger, Caroline felt free to whole-heartedly take not just Klaus' advice, but his opinions of her too,

"Sounds like a bitch." She whispered in his ear, causing him to stop in surprise. Caroline grew nervous, you probably shouldn't say those things in this time, however she was quickly relieved by Niklaus laughing, a beautiful sound if one might add.

"You should not say that word in front of the rest of my family," He reprimanded lightly, however amusement was in his tone, "If its just us two however, and it is about her, then go ahead." He grinned and winked at Caroline, who smiled at him before leaning into his arm to find warmth. "You are cold?" He asked concerned, and after she nodded in response, "Then we shall go home immediately." Caroline remembered then that getting a cold in these times were a lot more serious, even deadly, and if this was now where she was stuck, she was going to have to be a lot more careful, as Rebekah had revealed the other day, Freya, the eldest sibling had died from a cold.

The two hurried inside, and Niklaus immediately rushed Caroline to a fire and putting a rug around her to warm her up. He sat with her for a while, conversing with her before he was told by his mother that Mikael would soon be arriving, and would not be happy if Niklaus hadn't cleaned the stables, he hurried away quickly, and Rebekah took a seat by Caroline. Smiling as she saw her lingering look towards Nik.

Turning to see Rebekah's smile, Caroline immediately question it, "What?" She asked curiously.

"Nothing," Rebekah replied, still smiling,

"Seriously, what?" Caroline asked confused, smiling slightly still from her time with Niklaus.

"He likes you." Rebekah replied shortly,

"What? No." Caroline blushed,

"You like him back don't you?" Rebekah continued her detective skills, causing Caroline's blush to enhance by many shades,

"I only just met him." She returned, "I mean he's very nice and charming, but I only just met him." Rebekah just smiled as she stayed seated next to Caroline, happy to stay near her new friend in the warmth of the fire, with no further words needed.


	4. Our Momma Sang

**Disclaimer; I do not own TVD/TO/KC/Anything.**

 **So sorry - I forgot to update - I know its a pathetic excuse but it is the truth... forgive me?**

The next few of weeks passed uneventfully, Caroline bonded more with Rebekah and Klaus but not so much with the rest of the family. It was probably because of the age gap that she had not bonded with Elijah or Finn, and she found Kol to be too much of a reminder of a young, arrogant Tyler Lockwood, not her favourite version of her ex boyfriend.

Finally the dreaded, yet anticipated with some excitement by Caroline, night of the full moon came. The day started as usual, breakfast, chores, and then they started moving items to the cave where the Mikaelson family hid. They moved their beds, which Caroline had eventually gotten used to sleeping on sheets, or basically on the ground, and collected water and foraged for food in the woods, things like berries were found to attempt to make the night more enjoyable.

The men gathered wood for a fire and Mikael and Finn went hunting for a deer, Mikael proudly carrying it into the cage over his shoulder, followed by Finn who also wore a cocky smile.

Eventually the sun started slipping away, allowing room for the moon to rise into the night sky. By this time the entire family, and Caroline, were in the cave, Esther, who was a witch, (not that she'd told Caroline or thought that she knew, but Caroline recognised the signs) had cast a boundary spell, and lined the cave with aconite, or wolfsbane, which would help keep the wolves at bay.

They'd lit the fire and eaten when they heard the first howl, causing both Caroline and Rebekah to jump, and little Henrik began crying loudly. Esther went to comfort her youngest son, trying to settle him down and hoping he would sleep, the now constant howling not helping with this manner. Attempting to drown it out Rebekah, Caroline and Niklaus sat together talking about Tatia and Elijah's on and off again, rocky relationship, Rebekah teasing Niklaus about the time he'd also liked Tatia, which he accepted silently, both siblings knew his feelings were no longer focussed on Tatia. The night went on and the rest of the Mikaelsons began to sleep, Elijah snoring loudly causing Caroline and Rebekah to giggle. Henrik was also now asleep leaving just Caroline, Niklaus and a tiring Rebekah awake.

Eventually Rebekah fell asleep, and Niklaus gently moved her to her bed before returning to sit with Caroline. They both sat in a comfortable silence listening to the howls.

"I love the wolves." Nik muttered, causing Caroline's eyebrows to raise in disbelief,

"You mean the ones who would rip you to shreds?" She asked bewildered, Nik shook his head slightly,

"They wouldn't." He replied, only furthering Caroline's confusion, answering her questioning look he continued, "One full moon I snuck out to go see them," He looked at Caroline, and smiled slightly, "I know, it was my stupid curiosity, and they did find me and they cornered me, but, they didn't attack me. One of the wolves came forwards, I think he was the alpha or something," Nik said, looking down and poking at the fire, "He came close enough for me to be able to touch him walked around me and a circle and then the wolves went," Nik's eyes raised to meet Caroline's curious as to what her reaction would be, "I've never told anyone this," He admitted, "Father would kill me for going out at night. There's just something about the wolves, I feel like their like me, do you understand?" He asked Caroline,

"Not really, to be honest. Wolves frighten me," Caroline revealed, yes of course she was dating one, well dated, would be a better way of putting it, Tyler Lockwood had a little furry problem every full moon, and it scared Caroline that one little bite and she'd be dead. Also she figured that in this 'life' that she'd created here, considering her family had been killed by wolves then she'd probably be afraid of them.

Nik looked down, "I'm sorry, I know they hurt you and your family, it's just, it's weird - I don't know. They just seemed almost like they were human." He paused, "I know, it sounds crazy."

In fact to a vampire, saying wolves, which Caroline knew very well to be werewolves, acted like humans, was definitely not the craziest thing she had heard, considering she was living in a time a thousand years before she was even born, was definitely not even top ten, she wrapped her arm around his arm and leant against his chest.

"Not the craziest thing I've ever heard." She murmured, and the two fell back into silence, content with just sitting with each other.

When morning came Caroline found herself back in her bed, with Rebekah poking her awake. She shook her head, realising with a blush that Nik had carried her there last night, after she'd fallen asleep on him.

The entire Mikaelson clan worked to bring their items back to their home, and then continued the day as though last night there hadn't been dozens of wolves running around trying to kill them. It was odd, Caroline realised, she'd been with the Mikaelsons nearly exactly a month, and though she missed her mother, and Elena and Bonnie, and maybe her phone, she realised she didn't really miss Mystic Falls. There was something very comforting about the simplicity of life a thousand years ago, and she'd found a home with the Mikaelsons.

Rebekah was her friend in more of a way than Elena and Bonnie had ever been, they'd always made Caroline feel like a third wheeler, or an unwanted, but tolerated friend, especially before she'd had her little transformation known as death. Talking of vampirism, she really didn't miss the bloodlust, or even the ability to compel that much.

In fact Rebekah had almost become a sister to Caroline, and her brother, Niklaus, she'd known him a month, and already felt more for him than she'd known capable. When she was dating Tyler she always thought she loved him, and that maybe one day she'd grow up with him and marry him, a perfect Romeo and Juliet, vampire and werewolf defeat all odds and find love. But Tyler had become insufferable and controllable, frightened by the impending arrival of the originals and always on edge and angry. She knew a lot of it was because of him being a werewolf, and knew she wasn't the easiest person ever, but with Klaus she felt like it was easy. She didn't have to try really hard, and she didn't have to worry about him turning into a wolf every month and potentially killing her, with one nip.

It seemed it only took travelling back a thousand years in time to find a guy she could love. He was in many ways perfect for her. Sweet, caring, kind. She knew if this was present day Mystic Falls, and Caroline was a vampire and Nik was there it wouldn't be the same. She wouldn't be with him, but she didn't care, because it wasn't present day Mystic Falls, it was now, or well, if now was a thousand years ago.

It was nice as well, knowing someone liked her back and she didn't try to make him like her, just like he didn't try to make her like him, they just both did like each other. It was quick, yes, and Caroline probably wouldn't act upon it, not yet at least, it was too soon, perhaps never considering she was hoping Bonnie would find a way to pull her back to Mystic Falls, but in a way it being quick almost felt like a sign, and in a way Caroline was hoping Bonnie would never find a way to bring her back. She'd miss her mum, she would always miss her mum, but other than that enormous factor she had nothing there.

Nik wasn't there, Rebekah wasn't there, and now Caroline wasn't sure if she'd be happy without them. Eventually sure. However it would be so hard going back to the future and knowing that they had died, and died a thousand years ago, and no one but her remembered them, the Mikaelsons. How sad she'd feel at just suddenly vanishing, they'd think she'd run away or something, or she'd died, and Caroline couldn't cope with the idea of them grieving over here.

It's complicated, living in the past. Loving in the past.


	5. Us to Sleep

**Disclaimer; I do not own TVD/TO/KC/anything**

 **Also just found out that Kol is actually (canon-wise) older than Rebekah?! Obviously however in this story I will not change that and Kol will remain the youngest other than Henrik.**

 **Hope you enjoy;**

It was odd how fast time seemed to be flowing without Elena and Bonnie and Matt and even Tyler, though when she'd left she'd been pissed at him for kissing Vanessa and cheating on her, she'd thought she'd have missed them all more. The only person she really missed and felt wrong being apart from was her mother. They didn't even have the closest relationship, Liz Forbes was still unaware that Caroline was a vampire, she knew at one point, but when the vervain was out of the Sheriff's system Caroline had compelled her to forget, for her own safety, for Damon and Stefan's safety, even for the safety of Liz herself.

Rebekah had filled any potential void from not being with Elena and Bonnie, and Nik had more than filled the Tyler void. It was also hard for Caroline to go as far as to call the Mikaelson's house home, as she was certain that at any given moment Mikael would throw her out, to be honest Caroline had no idea why he had not done so already.

Maybe it was more Esther's doing than Mikael's that Caroline still resided with them. The original witch could see the positive effect it had had on both Rebekah and Niklaus, and enjoyed seeing her children happy, also Caroline did help pull her weight, she made it slightly more cramped for the children, but Finn was most likely soon going to get married and move out, so it didn't effect it too much. It was also nice having another girl to help with cooking and sewing as such, the boys did not like that craft so much, and at the time it was not appropriate for them to be doing such crafts. Men hunted. Girls cooked. It was simple.

Caroline had spent several more full moons with the Mikaelson clan, staying in the same cave, in safety as a result of witchcraft. Caroline had been surprised to see Kol peform some magic, the rest of the children did not seem to have that affinity, but Kol apparently did.

It was funny, the ways in which Esther tried to the supernatural nature of herself from Caroline. At the time witchcraft was still punishable by death, being burnt at a stake was not something Esther wanted for her self, but it was funny as Caroline was a vampire back in mystic falls, which was a lot more unnatural then being a witch. Caroline was happy enough to allow Esther to continue the pretences, and made it seem as though she didn't see Kol performing magic when he was supposably sleeping.

The full moons always became the highlight of Caroline's month, a routine in which her alongside Rebekah and Nik would stay up later then the rest (not that Mikael knew about this, he most likely thought they were all asleep). The trio would always sit by the fire and talk, and Rebekah would always leave earlier feigning tiredness, but after a few times Caroline began to work out that she was doing it on purpose to allow Nik and her to talk. An action which made Caroline feel very grateful towards Rebekah, though guilty at the idea that she might be pushing her away to spend more time with her brother. So most nights ended with Caroline falling asleep on Nik's shoulder and waking up in her bed.

Soon it was October. More specifically October the tenth. Caroline's birthday. She knew she'd let it slip to Nik and Rebekah ages ago, and was hopeful that they'd forgotten. Birthdays weren't really important in the middle ages as Caroline had quickly found out, it being Finn's birthday about a week after she'd arrived, there were a few words mentioned and a particularly big deer but other than that it had passed uneventfully.

Caroline had also found out about Niklaus' and Rebekah's secret gift giving between just each other. They'd each make each other a gift and unbeknownst to the rest of their family would present the other with it on their birthdays. Niklaus had adopted Caroline into this secret a few weeks before Rebekah's birthday and helped Caroline make a bracelet.

The day started uneventfully, and Caroline was almost sure they'd forgotten, however a few hours after lunch they took the horses down to the falls. Nik had managed to get a small amount of food and the three sat by the lake, then later wading in the water.

One thing led to another and Rebekah had pushed Nik completely under, resulting in a full-fledged water fight and three teenagers with clothes drenched. Afterwards deciding they definitely needed to dry off before going home, all knowing that Mikael would probably murder Niklaus if he knew they'd gone to the falls, and actually allowed the girls to swim in the water (not a very ladylike thing to be messing around - washing is one thing, playing is another).

As they were drying off Niklaus and Rebekah gave Caroline a shared gift of a leather bound journal. Caroline's name had been embroidered onto the side, neatly sewn on by Rebekah and Caroline figured Klaus made the rest of it (she couldn't imagine Rebekah getting the leather from a cow). "Thank you!" Caroline squealed before embracing Rebekah the Nik, lingering on the latter for marginally longer before sitting down besides him, resting on him. They both smiled happy at how well received their gift had been.

Soon the three had to venture back, so that they'd be home before dinner and Nik could avoid Mikael's wrath. The day ended, and it had left Caroline no time to miss her mum, or wonder what she or the rest of her friends still in Mystic Falls present day were thinking.

* * *

Little did Caroline know that in Mystic Falls instead of being seven months like Caroline had thought it had been around a week, and her friends were focussed know more on the threat of Klaus being there than Caroline's mysterious dissappearance

It was nearly the day that Klaus would try to sacrifice Elena so that he could complete his transition to become a wolf. Elena had been informed by Elijah a few days earlier that the sun and the moon curse they'd been fretting about for so long was a made up story. A joke between brothers. A distraction.

See Klaus had apparently not been born to the same father as Elijah. Instead it had been found out that Esther had a secret relationship by a werewolf known as Ansel, and that on Klaus' first full moon after being a vampire, on his first full moon after he had killed an innocent, he'd been bound up by his step-father and his mother and his wolf side had been caged inside him, locked away so that he wouldn't be able to access it, his stepfather abhorred him for being a reminder of his wife's indiscretions and for being what he saw as a monster. A hybrid.


	6. But Now

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD/TO/KC/Anything.**

 **AN Please Read: I will be away for the next two weeks and probably won't have wifi so won't be able to post/write, BUT in two weeks I have a couple chapters which I can give to you straight away**

 **Thanks for reading ^ and please enjoy [and review :)]**

Unaware of the danger in Mystic Falls, Caroline instead was preparing for the village's big bonfire. According to Rebekah it was an annual event where the village would all dine together, and dance and enjoy simple festivities. The elder of the Mikaelson men, Mikael, Finn and Elijah were partaking in a hunt with the rest of the village, Niklaus and Kol having been left behind with the rest of the boys their age as they were needed to instead collect firewood and move logs into position so they could be sat on.

The women were also helping. Some were foraging for berries, were as others had begun to cook some food they already had. Caroline and Rebekah were helping Esther with some cooking. Helping being a generous way of putting it, instead they were mainly spending time with Henrik, playing with the toddler, occasionally one of them would go over a assist in one task or another.

As the day went on Rebekah and Caroline returned home to go put on nicer clothes, it was the only opportunity to show off in the village, every girl would wear all the jewellery they had (in the middle ages most girl would have maybe one necklace and a bracelet, if that. If you were particularly rich you may have two necklaces, or just one nice one with a small precious stone in. Once Caroline and Rebekah were both in their dresses they made their way out. The music already having started playing.

The boys were already out long ago, having gotten changed before the girls, most wearing what would have been called Henleys a thousand years in the future. A few wore shirts.

After dining and talking amiably people began to dance. Eventually more and more. Finn was courting his girl, and Elijah was with Tatia, despite the number of jealous looks from other boys. Soon a boy came up to Rebekah and requested a dance, Rebekah being more than happy to oblige the blonde haired, blue eyed boy she had a small crush on. A few minutes later Nik turned to Caroline his hand outstretched and a smile on his face,

"Would this beautiful lady allow me to dance with her?" He asked, the only sign of any thing but confidence was his other hand gently twisting the edge of his shirt, Caroline smiled and stood up,

"I would love to." Caroline replied causing Nik to smile.

The music was obviously not the same as Caroline would find at one of the school's decade dances, for one there was no DJ, no CDs, no speakers. Instead a few of the guys who liked hunting less and arts more were playing things like drums or flutes which they'd made from wood. Caroline was sure if Nik's father wasn't Mikael, as in wasn't a violent bastard obsessed with the stereotyping of men, that Nik could easily have been one of the guys who'd made instruments.

A couple of the girls would sing occasionally, Tatia stole the stage for a bit, half a dozen guys crowded around her showing her their adulation.

It was a simple night, the music wasn't 'poppy' or 'dance' music like it would have been back in Mystic Falls, it was simple, and slow. Good for dancing with a partner instead of head bopping and jumping around.

It was especially nice when Tatia came over to ask for a dance from Niklaus, she thought he was still infatuated by her, it was nice because instead of falling to her feet like most of the boys there, Nik politely replied that he was already taken and turned away from the doppelganger towards Caroline.

The double meaning of "I'm taken." Stuck with Caroline. She wasn't sure whether she was over thinking it, that Nik had just meant he already had a partner he was dancing with, or if he meant emotionally he didn't like Tatia and liked Caroline. Not wanting to read too much into it Caroline decided to ignore it and kept her concentration with Nik, the two talking about a range of topics, from Jakob, the boy Rebekah was dancing too, and Caroline persuading Nik to not get too overprotective, and then slowly breaching into the topic of Mikael.

"Why you?" Caroline asked, and Nik looked up at her slowly, shrugging slightly,

"I don't know." Nik replied, "I think he thinks I'm different from him, more like my mother instead of him perhaps. He thinks I spend too much time with arts and with the horses." Nik was known for going down to the stables at least twice a day to pet and groom his horse and occasionally Caroline's too. Caroline's horse being one which Nik had before he met her and had trained, but easily gifted it to her within two weeks of their first encounter.

Mikael didn't like his son showing an affectionate side, compassion and emotion towards mere animals, what he saw as a means to an end, a tool, Nik saw as creatures just like him, "Horses are loyal in ways people will never be," He'd explained to Caroline on a previous occasion.

"It's wrong the way he treats you, a father should never hurt their son in that way." Caroline continued, not sure whether Nik himself would admit it.

"Caroline every father does it, Elijah has been beaten, Finn, Kol too." Nik replied, "It is not just me, it's just..." He trailed off slightly,

"Just more you than anyone else. Because you let him. You take the blame for things Kol or Rebekah do." Caroline finished off for him, "And I get it, believe me I get it, wanting to protect someone, making sure they don't get hurt. I hate it when he hurts you Nik." Caroline continued, "Stand up to him," She pleaded, "Maybe he'll respect you more for it?" She tried phrasing it as a statement but it came out more as a question.

"You know he won't. It'll just be an excuse to keep... to prolong it. It is fine anyway, I'm used to it, please," Nik raised his eyes to meet hers and imploringly asked, "Can we drop it?"

Caroline nodded slowly, knowing she was not content with how the conversation had ended but also knowing that she didn't want to ruin this night which was close to perfect. "Are you looking forward to the wedding?" She asked moving on as he had requested,

The wedding she was referencing was that of Finn's who was getting married in two weeks, "About time," Mikael had said about the matter, wishing that Finn could've been wed two years ago and gotten Mikael land already. The girl Finn was marrying was pretty, her name was Heidi, and her father was quite rich. It was an arranged marriage, forced onto the two. They got along well enough but it was clear neither loved the other.

Nik responded with a nod, "It should be enjoyable," he added on. Caroline snorted slightly before stopping herself with a smile, snorting wasn't very ladylike. "What?" Nik asked curiously with a small smile growing,

"'It should be enjoyable' - you sound so old." She teased, he blushed slightly, "And forced," She added, "Are you not looking forward to it?" She asked,

Nik looked at her, "I feel sorry for Finn." Realising Caroline expected more, "He doesn't love her, and she doesn't love him. Father made him, and her father made her, it's just power play isn't it." Caroline nodded slowly,

"What about Elijah, who does your father want him to court?" She asked,

"Well not Tatia, that's for sure," He replied quickly, "A child out of wedlock is not who father wants as a future daughter in law. You should hear some of their arguments when we go out hunting. Father is trying to set him up with the Eriksen girl, you know Jakob's sister." Caroline nodded, she was also pretty, blonde and blue eyed like her brother. "But Elijah's having none of it, he shuts him down every time. He's obsessed with Tatia, he can't even see that she plays this way with half the village boys our age. I think father has given up, he's sent Kol to court her," Nik gestured at Kol dancing with the blonde, with a cheeky smile on his face, "Kol's slightly too young but father doesn't care."

"He just skipped you out?" Caroline asked, "Went to Kol instead?"

"I think father realises that I'm quite taken love," He said softly, Caroline blushed and looked down not sure as to what to say, deciding instead to just look up and smile at him, leaning in to him slightly. They spent the rest of the night in the same away, an occasional comment, but not much needed to be said.

At the end of the night as they walked home, Nik obviously feeling more adventurous than other nights, and holding Caroline's hand, knelt down and gently picked up a rose, "For you, love." He replied.

That made it twice, Caroline counted internally, hoping that she would have to keep counting. She loved the way Nik said 'love'.

 **Please review (it makes my day) :)**


	7. We're Stressed Out

**Disclaimer; I do not own TVD/TO/KC/anything**

 **Anyone who is up to date with the originals, what are your thoughts on the recent episode, or just the entire of season 5 for that matter?**

It soon became the day of the wedding. Finn and Heidi were set to be married. Rebekah, being Finn's sister was set to being a bridesmaid of sorts, the middle age equivalent. Heidi had no sisters so the job fell to the sister of the groom instead.

It wasn't the biggest responsibility. All Rebekah had to do was stand at the front besides the future bride as the couple said their vows, but Caroline could tell she felt nervous.

It was going to be quite a big event, most, if not all of the village was going to be there. Caroline especially was excited, it was her first wedding in the middle ages,and she was interested to see what would happen, what were the traditions and such.

Rebekah being occupied, Caroline spent most of the day leading up to the ceremony with Niklaus. Elijah had been chosen as the best man equivalent, little Henrik was going to be the ring bearer, and other than the person who would lead the ceremony, the oldest women in town, there were no other important jobs.

Being the family of the groom, Caroline, Niklaus and Kol had to help with chores like setting up the chairs and getting flowers, and things like that. Caroline also had to help Esther with some cooking, but most of that had been done the day before, they didn't have to make too much, the different family's from the village would each be tasked with bringing something as a gift.

Esther and Caroline's main job was making the cake, they'd started the day prior to the wedding, grateful for the help of Rebekah. It wasn't a seven tiered multi layered, decorated cake with little figures of a man in a tux and a woman in a white dress on the top, it was what Caroline, with her limited knowledge of cuisine would have probably called a flan.

They had to make two. One represented the bride, one represented the groom. The merging of the two represented the marriage. And as you ate from both it showed that the two previously individuals were now a pair, who shared everything.

The actual cake was simple, there was no special ingredient or fancy frosting but having tasted the off cuts Caroline was pleased with the results, it added variety to the blandness of food in the middle ages, food, yes, that was definitely something Caroline missed, a good chocolate milkshake, or a cheese burger with fries, or a nice salad with mozzarella, or her mother's burnt lasagna. She definitely felt like food was one of the few things she missed about present day Mystic Falls.

Caroline, once finished helping Esther with the cake, went to the main area the service would take place, where Nik and Kol were arranging the chairs, "Oh you are doing it all wrong!" She exclaimed causing both Kol and Nik to look up at her,

"How do you arrange chairs wrong love?" Niklaus asked with a small exasperated smile.

"Yeah love, how do you arrange chairs wrong?" Kol copied teasingly, invoking a shove from Nik sending him tumbling, "Ow." He muttered, Caroline rolled her eyes at the brothers.

"They're uneven, there is no symmetry." Caroline quickly continued ignoring Kol's murmuring in a high pitch tone of "No symmetry" and ignoring Nik pushing his brother over again. "How can you tell where one line ends, or even which line it is?" She asked and began moving chairs into place, Nik navigated his way through the maze of chairs until he reached Caroline, and with a smile began helping her.

Kol also, moaning under his breath began adjusting each of the chairs, and an unknown amount of time later they were finally done. "See," Caroline pointed out with a slight air of superiority, "Better?" She asked,

"Much." Nik replied despite the rhetorical nature of her question. At that moment Mikael walked in, "You are meant to be working." He shouted angrily,

"We just finished father, I was about to find you to figure out the next task." Niklaus retorted trying to keep his tone polite.

"I believe you should get changed." He directed that statement at Caroline who reluctantly left Nik and Kol to Mikael's wrath. Unsure of why he was angry on this day.

Caroline returned to her room to find that Esther had laid out a pretty dress on her bed, she quickly slipped into it, finding her fancy dress shoes and putting on jewellery as she waited unsure of how she would be able to zip up the dress with out running through the village to find someone to help her. At that moment she heard an footsteps and a few seconds later, "Oh I am so sorry, I didn't realise you were still in here." She quickly recognised it as Nik's voice and turned around to face him.

"It's alright, in fact you have quite good timing," She smiled at him, "Could you help me with the dress?" She asked, and Nik slowly walked over, uncertain about how he could, "I just can't get the zip." Caroline explained, and Nik looked relieved,

"Oh of course." He replied quickly, and Caroline turned around. Nik gently pushed her hair over her shoulder and slowly zipped up the dress, careful to not tear it or accidentally hurt Caroline. "All done love." He muttered,

Caroline turned around quickly, the words "Thank you" getting caught in her mouth as she was unaware that Nik was still so close behind her. The two stood their uncertain of what their next move should be, able to feel the warmth of the others breath on their face. "Um," Caroline murmured, before the two were interrupted by Kol walking in,

Kol blushed slightly at the idea of invading a personal moment, but the two had already stepped away from each other quickly, "Sorry," he mumbled, both Nik and Caroline blushing profusely,

"You didn't interrupt anything," Caroline replied find her voice, noting the skepticism on Kol's face, and the slight irritation on Nik's at their moment being invaded. "I will wait for you in the kitchen." Caroline continued picking up her shoes and walking out of the room, her head held high. Though still blushing, and greatly embarrassed Caroline couldn't help but giggle as she heard Kol teasing Nik, and the sound of Nik reacting by clipping Kol over the head lightly, lightly because she knew Nik would never hurt one of his siblings the way Mikael hurt him.

She put on her shoes and waiting for a while, before Nik and Kol both walked out in their smartest attire. The wore smart shirts with no crinkles in, and blazer-type coats over the top. "You look smart." She complimented, causing both Nik and Kol's heads to be held slightly higher,

"And you look beautiful love." He replied, causing a faint blush to reappear. Kol, thankfully, decided to not tease his brother on the use of 'love' this time.

The three made their way over to the event, Niklaus as an escort to Caroline, his arm and hers intertwined. Kol was to wait at the door for the arrival of Damara Erikson, the girl he was courting. Nik walked Caroline up to the front, where they sat on the left side as they were family of the groom. Mikael and Esther were already there, Henrik was perched next to them, sitting down until the ceremony started and he would have to had the rings to the engaged and soon to be married couple.

Caroline thanked Esther for the dress the two sat on the other side of Elijah, further away from Mikael. Noting that Nik had winced slightly when he'd gone past his father, Caroline squeezed his hand as they sat down, and feeling comfortable, decided to leave her hand in his.

Soon the ceremony started. Finn was at the front with Elijah by his side both looking very smart. Then the entire village stood as Heidi made her way down the aisle, accompanied by her father. The traditional gesture of him handing her over to Finn was one which Caroline found out tracked back to even a thousand years before her own birth.

It was simple, but pretty, and Henrik handing Finn a ring and nearly falling over was very cute. The littlest Mikaelson was two years old walking as though he'd never been crawling, except from moments like these. Henrik was the youngest in the town, though another couple was expecting. It was rare to have families as big as the Mikaelsons.

Whilst it was desirable to have large families, being that more children meant more could be done, chores wise, and more potential arranged marriages, it was often rare, as rates of mortality from childbirth were quite high, at least in comparison to back then, around forty percent died, and around fifty percent ended with either no child or no mother, due to miscarriages and poor conditions, as well as a lack of medicine.

Luckily for this village they had witches, who would often help. Not that everyone knew Esther was a witch, there was another Ayanna as well who performed witchcraft. The two were often involved with childbirth and prevented what could have been disaster many times. They were doing it secretly, and subtly, using herbs as medicine most of the time, working with what they had.

Esther's heritage had helped her not die, she was a strong woman, and had had seven children, the first - Freya of course being dead, - but not from childbirth from environmental factors which had caused the Mikaelsons to move to the 'new land' or America.

Most marriages, like Finn and Heidi's were expected to have an heir within a year or 18 months, there was no form of protection, and a lack of an heir was never a good thing. The idea was on the wedding night you would consummate your marriage, and if from that day you were with that child, it was a sign from the heavens that your marriage was approved.

Not to say that if you weren't with child from the first time your marriage wasn't good, it just made the others special.

Once the ceremony was over the village had dinner, and later danced to music. It turned out that without the initial ceremony, weddings were very similar to the annual bonfire in these times.

The main difference was the type of music, was slower, and the band was more organised, and the focus of attention was on the couple. The bride and the groom were expected to dance with their new in-laws, Caroline found it very amusing seeing Finn and Heidi's mother dancing, at the same time as Heidi and Mikael sharing what looked like a very awkward dance.

Caroline mainly danced with Nik, she was stolen by Elijah for a couple, where they talked about Tatia and Mikael, it ending in a rather unfriendly manner as Caroline had called Elijah out on not helping Nik in protecting Kol and Rebekah, for not protecting Nik at all.

She knew Elijah was scared of Mikael, but it bugged her that he didn't help Nik when he was being abused by Mikael. She knew Elijah could tell she was write as well, but instead of causing a scene she decided to politely pause the dance, and made her way over to Nik still angry.

"What's wrong Caroline?" He asked concerned, "What did Elijah do?"

"Nothing, that's the problem." She paused and was thankful that Nik didn't interrupt her, "I hate how he always just lets Mikael hurt you." She admitted to him, "He should be protecting you, like you protect Kol and Rebekah, but instead he spends all his time obsessing over that bitch Tatia." Nik let out a nervous laugh over the use of the word 'bitch' and looked around to make sure no one else was listening, looking relieved when he realised no one was,

"Caroline, it's okay, I'm used to it, I can handle it." He tried to reassure her,

"You shouldn't have to." She muttered in response, "It's wrong." She was becoming increasingly aware that this conversation was mirroring the one two weeks ago, she wondered whether there would ever be a point in time where this conversation could be resolved. Whether, Nik would ever manage to get away from Mikael.

Nik looked unsure of what to say instead he stood up and outstretched his arm, "Would you do me the honour of dancing with me, love?" He asked with a charming smile, hoping to distract Caroline. She exhaled slowly, calming herself, before smiling and accepting his offer, attempting to push her worries about Mikael to the back of her head.


	8. Dance

**Disclaimer; I do not own TVD/TO/KC/anything**

 **Please review your thoughts or ideas, thank you :)**

 **After this chapter things will speed up a bit**

Christmas was nearing, and though the Mikaelsons, and the village they lived in didn't call it Christmas - they called it Yule - Caroline was still really excited. It was like a history assignment she'd had in fourth grade; How do the Medieval Vikings celebrate Christmas?

Caroline was about to find out, and be one of the only people in the modern day world who knew exactly. If she ever got back to the modern day world that is. She wasn't sure if she would, nor sure if she wanted to anymore.

The simplicity of the Medieval lifestyle pleased Caroline more than she thought it would. She was the popular vampire cheerleader who liked going shopping, drinking blood and was happy when she got hundreds of likes on an instagram post, but now she was just a girl in a village. A normal girl.

The contrast between how her life had changed so dramatically within a year still shocked her. It was astounding how much she felt she'd changed. She'd expected, after finding out she was no longer a vampire, to go back to being a neurotic, insecure, control freak, but somehow she wasn't.

Maybe it was having a best friend who liked her back as much as she liked her. Not being a third wheeler constantly, and feeling rejected all the time. Maybe it was having a cute boy like her as much as she liked them. Maybe it took time traveling back a thousand years to actually put things into perspective, that really what she wore on a day to day basis didn't matter, or that one person's negative opinions on her didn't matter, really nothing she'd done in Mystic Falls in her entire life was worth anything.

Anyways, Christmas, or Yule, was in two days, it wasn't on the 25th of December like she'd half heartedly expected, it was in the middle of January.

The customs were that each family would have a feast, and then later go out to the centre and have another feast with the entire village, the majority of it being pork, which was hunted the day prior to the celebrations. Apparently it was quite funny as all the men got drunk, Nik and Rebekah had told her of the year Elijah had stolen some beer and ended up singing a solo on the stage, unsurprisingly the next year Elijah had stayed far away from the alcohol.

A less funny part, according to Rebekah, was the village leader, was the sacrificing of some livestock, some lambs and calves, as an offering to their Gods, as well as some of their finest food. They would then call a toast to the Gods, hoping for a good, plentiful year to come and thank the Gods for the year which had passed.

After the village wide festivities each family would return home and exchange gifts. Caroline was quite worried about getting each of the Mikaelsons gifts, very unsure what to get them, especially Mikael and Esther.

Despite Caroline being nervous, she couldn't help but feel excited, and was greatly anticipating the day. The two days before were spent cooking and more cooking, as well as time spent finding and making gifts. Even the boys helped with the feast preparations, Mikael, of course, being the usual exception. The man seemed to be getting angrier by the day.

* * *

A few weeks ago Mikael had been pushing Kol and Nik around, and Nik had had enough. He pushed Mikael back and challenged him to a duel. Caroline didn't know the details, just a brief account from Nik.

Apparently Mikael had decided the necklace around Nik's neck, which was a gift to him from Esther, would be his, the victor's prize, and from ripping it from his neck, Nik had gotten furious and attacked him back, besting his father. Then Nik had shamefully admitted to Caroline that he boasted to his father about how he was the victor, and how he had the prize, and how then Mikael had impaled him in the shoulder with a sword.

That was how Caroline had found Niklaus. Impaled to a tree with a sword in his shoulder. She'd been with Rebekah at the time, foraging for berries, then Elijah, hearing their screams had come along, then quickly ran off to find Esther.

Niklaus spent the next week on bed rest, with Esther treating him with herbal medicine, and a little witchcraft on the side. Caroline and Rebekah also spent a lot of their time with him, just keeping him comfortable and talking to him.

Caroline couldn't help but feel guilty over what had happened. She'd been the one who'd pressurised Nik into standing up to Mikael, and he had stood up to Mikael, and he nearly died. If the sword had gone, perhaps, two inches lower, it would have impaled his heart, and Nik would have had no chance.

It was amazing Nik had survived at all, it was almost supernatural the way in which he was healing. Caroline laid most of the rate of his recovery on the witchcraft Esther had been subtly using, but it seemed odd, it was treated by the Mikaelson clan as an almost minor injury, but to Caroline it was amazing he'd survived, there were no antibiotics or painkillers, it was a sign of not just Esther's power, but of Nik's strength.

After the incident Mikael had ignored Niklaus completely. Caroline wasn't sure why, maybe he was embarrassed by what he himself had done? that he'd been bested? or maybe just that he hadn't completely finished Nik off. Caroline wasn't sure, but she what she was sure of is that if she was still a vampire, there was no way she wouldn't have killed him by now.

Rebekah had confessed to Caroline that the night after the incident she'd found a sword and had intentions of killing Mikael, had she not been prevented by Elijah who'd, fortunately, came across her as she was entering their parent's room and talked her down. Caroline couldn't help but be in awe of Rebekah, that she was willing to go to those lengths to protect her brother, and for the first time felt herself feeling grateful for Elijah. Maybe he wasn't so bad, maybe he was just being poisoned by Tatia.

* * *

The day had come. Caroline was awoken early by Rebekah and soon everyone was awake. Henrik being the culprit in this case. The toddler greatly enjoyed his ability to walk, and used it to climb out of his bed and stumble into the main room, stepping on a now very grumpy Finn.

The day was whisked away quickly. The first feast with the Mikaelsons seemed to end within seconds, despite Caroline knowing that it lasted much longer. It was a lavish feast with a massive roasted hog which came with the tale from Finn of how he and Elijah had caught it.

Mikael stayed silent most of the dinner, Caroline noted he did not once make eye contact, or even look at Nik. Instead choosing to ignore his son.

Next came the village feast, and despite Caroline feeling stuffed it was still really enjoyable. Rebekah's crush Jakob and his sister Damara, sat by them, Kol also very happy with that.

Caroline found it quite interesting that Elijah too sat with them, choosing to ignore Tatia, it was becoming a common theme, Elijah spending less time with the doppelganger, the reason why however, Caroline wasn't sure. Perhaps they'd gotten in a fight, or maybe Elijah had finally realised she was a bitch, or maybe Elijah felt guilty about not protecting Nik from Mikael, and realised that his brother was almost killed.

She reminded Caroline a lot of Katherine, playing two boys around. It seemed like a common doppelganger theme, two boys (or more in Tatia's case) making them fall head over heels for you then playing with them like they were toys.

Caroline knew Elena didn't do it on purpose or out of spite, but, still, she had both Salvatore brothers falling head over heels for her, and Caroline was becoming increasingly aware of Elena's affections for Damon. This, however, was an issue Caroline was so grateful for getting a break from.

Caroline was becoming to like Elijah more by the minute, he seemed nice, obviously terrible taste in women, or woman, but a polite boy, less cocky and superior then Finn, and less immature and downright annoying than Kol. He was definitely Caroline's fourth favourite Mikaelson. Nik, Rebekah and Henrik all made their way above him in the list, but he was higher than he had been.

Caroline had to admit that she'd closed her eyes for the sacrificing part of the ritual, noting that Rebekah and Damara had as well, and seeing that Rebekah had a hand over Henrik's eyes too. Nik lightly brushed her arm with his hand, to comfort her. The words "It's over love." Signalling the end of the sacrificing.

A tall man with a large beard stood up, with a big pint glass of beer, the frothy liquid flowing over the top and splashing on to the table, "We thank ye Gods for the past bountiful year, and hope ye except our offering to ye, and hope for as a good a year as the past to come."

"Here, here." Was chanted in response, the men clinking together pints, whereas the children instead, wanting to feel involved clinked together glasses of water. Elijah was eying up his pint of beer apprehensively, he was old enough now that he was expected to drink, but, he obviously did not want to repeat a previous year's mistakes. He glared jokingly at Rebekah as she giggled at him, before taking a tentative sip.

There was some dancing afterwards, Caroline and Rebekah being stolen away by Henrik who wanted to enjoy the festivities, Nik came to join them after a while, and the four danced until Henrik got too tired.

Then Rebekah and Jakob danced and Nik took Caroline away. "We've had many dances recently," He noted to Caroline who smiled in response,

"You getting tired old man?" She joked and he laughed. The two were being careful to not strain his shoulder and sat down quicker than they would have on other events. They sat next to Elijah who was looking very bored, glaring at Tatia who was dancing with another boy.

"Jealous brother?" Nik asked him teasingly,

"No." He answered shortly,

"What happened between you to?" He questioned him nervously, not sure how Elijah would react.

"I broke up with her." Caroline raised an eyebrow in surprise before quickly lowering it before he saw,

"Why?" She asked, Elijah faltered, as though finding the words

"She's a bitch." He replied tentatively, Caroline laughed and Nik slapped him on the back,

"'Bout time you realised that, it took Caroline about twenty minutes to figure that one out." Nik replied, happy when Elijah smiled. "I'm glad I've got my big brother back." He said, attempting to play it as a joke but it came out more seriously than he wanted. Elijah smiled at him.

After talking more, and Caroline's opinion of Elijah going up even further, soon the party seemed to be dying out, and the Mikaelsons returned home to give each other presents. Happy that her gifts were received nicely, and very grateful for the gifts given to her, Caroline was content that today had indeed been a good day, and definitely made up for her missing Christmas at home.

She just couldn't help but think about how lonely her mom would have been, and felt guilty for enjoying herself so much, when her mother must be so worried.


	9. Kiss

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD/TO/KC/anything, if i did the ending of The Originals would have been sooooo different, don't even get me started... still *slightly* upset about that one...**

 **Sorry for not updating regularly over the past two weeks, I've been away on holiday, with awful WiFi and no laptop, but I have planned the next couple chapters so they should start rolling out!**

 **Please enjoy - and review if possible!**

"So?" Rebekah looked imploringly at Caroline, who returned the look questioningly,

"So what?"

"So, how was it?" Rebekah asked, causing Caroline to blush,

"You really want to know?" She replied, still blushing,

"Of course I want to know, why wouldn't I want to know?" She asked rhetorically.

"Because it was your brother," Caroline said, her tone saying 'duh'.

"Oh. Right. No, I guess, but, damn." She paused, pondering, "I'm so confused right now, I want to know because your my best friend, but then again, it's my brother and that's, well, gross." Caroline giggled at Rebekah's internal struggle, causing the other blonde to let slip a smile.

"I can't believe he finally kissed you!" She exclaimed, "I thought, I mean it's Nik, he's not exactly the most-"

"The most what?"

"I don't know. He's just not really that kind of guy who puts it all out there like that." Caroline nodded slightly at the explanation, trying to hide her blush and downplay both her excitement and embarrassment, she wasn't used to this type of attention, all focused on her, and she wasn't used to a guy like Nik either. Tyler was nice, and at the time, sure, Caroline thought she loved her, but with Nik it all seemed just, amplified, was the only right word to put.

"Why Nik kiss Care?" A small voice came from the doorway, the owner of that voice being Henrik, the youngest Mikaelson. "What a kiss?" He asked,

Both blondes stopped and slowly turned, eyes wide, not realising that Henrik was home, or in hearing range of this conversation. They both turned to each other confused as to what to do. Henrik stood their patiently waiting, shifting his weight on one foot to another, before slowly waddling over. Rebekah bent down and pecked him on the cheek.

"That's a kiss." She told him, before ruffling her brother's hair, before continuing, "Except with Nik and Caroline, they did it because they both like each other." She explained, attempting to take on a simpler tone for her little brother, hoping that would satisfy him as a good enough answer. It didn't.

"Why'd you do it then? Do you not like me?" He asked, bottom lip quavering. Caroline by this point was sitting down on the table with her face buried in her hands in complete and utter embarrassment, leaving a now slightly bewildered Rebekah to do all the heavy lifting.

"Of course I like you, I love you, but they were doing it because they like each other in a different way." She paused slightly trying to find a suitable way of putting it, "They like each other like mummy and daddy like each other." She explained.

"But Nik and Care, brother an' sister."

"No." Came an immediate response from both Caroline and Rebekah, Caroline continuing, "Me and Nik aren't siblings."

"But Nik my brother," He waited for Caroline to nod, "And you my sister." Caroline nodded, knowing this was the way the youngest Mikaelson felt about her, like family. "So you an' Nik, brother, sister." Caroline groaned quietly, knowing that she'd led herself into that one.

"Caroline isn't your sister in the same way Nik and I are." Rebekah took over from Caroline, knowing this was going to be a hard one to explain. "See, Caroline isn't our mum and dad's child, she has her own mum and dad."

"Then why she live wi' us?" He asked confused. Caroline looked down, and guiltily received a sympathetic look from Rebekah

"Because my mum and dad live abroad, so your mummy and daddy, let me stay here with you." She explained, ignoring the pang in her chest from talking about her parents, sure, they weren't actually dead, but she was, at this rate, never going to see them again.

It had been eleven months, nearly a year, and there seemed to be no sign or no way to get her back to present day, not that she was sure she'd want to go back. She couldn't imagine a world without Rebekah in, and going back to the future and knowing Nik, who she was pretty sure she was in love with, was dead, that would kill her. She could not live an immortal live as a vampire without them.

"You still my sister." Henrik stated and Caroline nodded at him, allowing a smile to spread over her face. "So you an' Nik, brother, sister." The smile was now most definitely fake now.

"No." Came another simultaneous reply from the blondes, this time Rebekah continuing, having had time to thought over a response to this, now predictable statement. "See, say our daddy, had a brother, now, because daddy and mommy are married, that would mean that daddy's brother, was now also mommy's brother. Do you understand?" She asked making sure Henrik was keeping up.

The nearly four years old boy nodded.

"But that doesn't mean that mommy and daddy are brother and sister does it." Henrik agreed quickly and let Rebekah continue, "See, Nik and Caroline are more like that. They both have the same siblings, but only because they both really like each other."

"But they not married." Henrik stated.

"No, we are not." Came a voice from the doorway. Caroline blushed as Nik walked towards them, "Maybe one day though." He whispered to his little brother, quietly so that neither Caroline nor Rebekah could hear it.

Kol and Elijah followed Nik into the room, "What are you three talking about then?" Elijah asked picking up his littlest brother,

"Nik kissed Care." Henrik told Elijah, who's eyes widened comically and he looked at Nik then Caroline, then Nik again, both blushing.

"Really Niklaus?" Elijah asked, Nik's blush giving away the answer. Rebekah and Kol were standing at the side in hysterics, then Henrik tugged on Elijah's trousers,

"But they brother an' sister." Henrik stated, both Caroline and Rebekah groaned loudly,

"No we are not." Nik stated quickly, louder than the chorus of 'no's from the rest of the family. Henrik stood back a step.

"Nik my brother, Care my sister." Henrik started, "So they brother an' sister."

Caroline and Rebekah chose this opportunity to duck out and leave the Mikaelson boys with the issue of Henrik. As they stepped outside Rebekah burst out laughing,

"Hey!" Caroline said sounding affronted, she lightly shoved Rebekah, "This is your fault you know." She accused her, her face still burning red,

"How?" Rebekah asked, "You are the one who kissed him."

"Yes, but," Caroline sputtered, "If you hadn't the incessant need to talk about it then Henrik wouldn't have overheard and we wouldn't have had to be put through that."

"If you hadn't kissed my brother, then I wouldn't have had to have the need to talk about it." Rebekah replied, still laughing, at this point Nik came outside, stopping in surprise as he saw them,

"Oh, sorry, I thought you'd have gone," He paused, the three stood in awkward silence, only interrupted my the occasional stifling of a giggle from Rebekah's part.

"Oh look, there's um, there's," Rebekah said, quickly walking away leaving Caroline with Nik, who smiled at her, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So, uh, everyone knows then."

"Yeah, sorry." Caroline replied sheepishly, "We didn't mean for Henrik to overhear-"

"It's fine, I mean, bound to happen at some point." Nik interrupted. The two stood in an uncomfortable silence,

"I'm sorry." Nik started, "I didn't mean for it to be so awkward, I just, I shouldn't have kissed you, I just,-"

"Nik." Caroline stopped him quickly, and he looked at her briefly before looking down at his shoes again. Caroline stood unsure of what to say, but knowing she should be saying something,

"Yes?" Nik asked after she still hadn't said anything. Caroline leant in slowly and kissed him, and after the temporary shock of what to do, Nik quickly returned it. Suddenly a loud cough started from behind them,

"Niklaus," Both quickly parted and turned to face Esther. Now even redder than they had been before. In the distance Caroline could see Rebekah laughing at them.

The two stood shiftily, "Yes, mother, sorry, I-"

"I believe your father will be home soon, you should probably get straightened up." She cut in, ignoring his stumbling for words.

"Yes mother." Nik replied, standing taller and returning inside.

Esther looked at Caroline, who tried to hold the stare back, failing miserably, she smiled slightly in amusement, "You too." She told Caroline,

"Uh, yes, of course, sorry." Caroline rambled slightly before hurrying inside. To the sound of Kol's laughter, she went into the bedroom and stood face to face with Nik. Before both burst out laughing,

"I'm sorry," He said,

"Why?" Caroline asked, he paused not expecting that, "I was the one who kissed you." She smiled at him and he cracked a relieved smile,

"Indeed, love."

At that point from inside the kitchen they heard Henrik speaking to his mother.

"Nik and Caroline kissed,"

"Yes I am aware," Came Esther's words,

"But aren't they brother an' sister"


	10. Dream

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD/TO/KC/anything otherwise the originals would NOT have ended like that.**

 **Hope you enjoy - please review - and be thankful this chapter isn't as f*cking awkward as the last one...**

"Hey guys, she's waking up." Called a familiar voice, her vision was still blurry but Caroline could make out that she was a brunette, Caroline slowly lifted herself up and propped herself against a table behind her, "Hey, easy there." The voice said again, and now Caroline could make out the figure. Elena Gilbert.

"Elena?" She asked hazily, "Where, where am I?"

"Right where you belong, Care, I'm so sorry, I tried a spell I shouldn't have, and I messed up, I messed up real bad," Bonnie paused, taking a deep breath to calm herself, "But I got you back, your safe now."

"Yeah barbie, you're alright."

"Damon?"

"You got it." Damon replied with a snarky smile,

"Damon, shut up." Elena replied, gently shoving him with a bit more affection that she would have the last time Caroline had seen her. Maybe Damon had grown on her? "I was so worried, we, we were so worried." Elena grasped Caroline's hand, "You, you are shaking." She commented, "Are you cold?" She asked with a concerned look, "Damon get her a blanket."

"No, no," Caroline waved Damon up, a tear slipping down her face, "I'm not cold, I'm fine."

"Care," Elena said, with another concerned look, "What's wrong?" Elena was sat by her side, mirrored by Bonnie on her other side, holding her hand in comfort.

"I, I-" Caroline stammered, trying to control herself,

"Hey, hey," Elena brought Caroline into a hug, "What happened, while you were, you know gone?" She asked after Caroline had calmed down a bit.

"You sent me a thousand years back in the past, and," She paused but squeezed Bonnie's hand to let her know she didn't blame her. "I want to go back." Caroline admitted, "I loved it there, I-" Another tear slipped down her face, and the entire ensemble of people that Caroline recognised all gathered around her looked confused. Matt, Tyler, Stefan, Bonnie and Jeremy, Ric was standing to the side next to a woman she didn't recognise.

Tyler slowly walked forwards, and after Bonnie made room, crouched besides her, "It's okay, you're safe."

"I was safe there," She murmered, and Tyler grabbed her hand.

"I know, I know, but you're back now, and we're all here for you, I'm here for you." He assured her, before going to kiss her on the cheek, Caroline shied away from him,

"Ty, I'm sorry I don't, I'm not single." She confessed, Tyler took a few steps backwards,

"What?" He asked, a slight sliver of irritation in his tone, "You are dating some guy who, who is what a viking or something, you know this was, - if this wasn't a hallucination, a dream, - a thousand years ago. That means he's dead, long dead."

"Tyler!" Elena reprimanded immediately, as Caroline noticeably moved further away from him and closer to Elena,

"I'm sorry, Ty I don't love you. I, I don't think I ever really did, love, you. I didn't even properly understood what love felt like until, until Nik." Tyler shook his head in disbelief, before angrily making an exit, slamming the door behind him,

"He'll be fine," Elena immediately reassured her,

"I won't be." Caroline responded, before looking at Bonnie imploringly, "I want to go back. I can't live an immortal life, knowing he is dead, and Beks, I need to go back. They can't, they can't be dead, because if they're dead, then I might as well be." She stated, "I don't want to live without him. I can't." She said weakly, looking Elena in the eye. Elena audibly swallowed,

"You know, maybe we don't care, I never cared about you, Bonnie, Ty, Matt we never cared." She retorted angrily, now looming over Caroline, "This Nik, probably hated you, probably just used you like some slut, and would've thrown you away again, if you were still there. We did him a favour. And, you are right, you are better of dead. Nobody. Nobody in this entire world wants you here Caroline. You are just some barbie whore who no one, no one cares about."

"Caroline, Caroline?" Came a voice from the distance, a familiar voice, a kind voice. Nik.

* * *

"Hey, love, it's alright, you're alright, I've got you, I'm here, you're alright." Nik calmed her down, his arms around her, holding her, comforting her,

"Nik, oh thank god." Caroline cried, "You're here, I'm here,"

"You're safe," He said, "It was just a dream." Caroline nodded.

"How, - How long was I, you know?" She asked, leaning her head into his chest,

"Not long, I woke you quickly, you were muttering about how 'no one cares' and 'I'm better of dead,'" He paused slightly, "I care. And if you died, I don't know what I'd do. I'd probably go crazy without you." A tear slipped down Caroline's face as she sat up a bit more and hugged him,

"I'm sorry." She said softly,

"You didn't do anything wrong," Nik replied immediately, slightly confused at why she was apologising.

"I-" She took a breath, "Nik, I don't ever want to be anywhere but here. If one day I-" She paused, shivering at the thought of her going back to present day Mystic Falls, "If one day, something happens to me. Just know, I, I love you, and I would never leave you on purpose. I love you." She repeated,

Nik looked down at her with a sad smile, "I love you too. We should probably go soon, get back before it gets dark." He said, looking at the sun as it neared the top of the trees. They had taken a picnic out to the falls and sat by the water, Caroline had fallen asleep at some stage and had another nightmare. These kind of nightmares were becoming more frequent, but that was the biggest one yet, she'd never sleep talked like that before.

Nik got up, and helped Caroline to her feet, before going over to the horses and leading her horse out. After helping her get on it he got on his and they rode towards the village.

"You know," He started, "It's been exactly a year since I met you here." He stopped for a second, trying to find a way to breach the subject, "Do you think these nightmares you've been having, are a result of it being the one year anniversary of," He looked at her knowingly.

"I'm not sure." She admitted honestly, trying her hardest to lie to Nik as little as possible. "I mean, probably." Nik nodded in understanding, - Caroline didn't really wish to speak about the topic, she never did, and whilst he wished he could be of more use, there was no point in bringing it up all the time and hurting her with it.

He snorted slightly, "What?" She asked amused.

"Well, I mean it's not really funny, it's just," He looked at Caroline, a small blush on his face and his face lost his smile, he was nervous. "Father wishes me to ask you to," He looked down for a second, before returning the gaze, "To marry me." He said, causing Caroline's eyes to widen. "I think he wants me out of the house and, I mean it is no secret he doesn't like me, so, I don't know." He rambled anxiously,

"Nik." Caroline trailed off ominously, and Nik looked down,

"Yeah, yes, it's, never mind, it's stupid." He said sounding dejected.

"No. No it's not, it's just." It's just what Caroline? She thought to her self, it's just hard to explain that you are from the future and that you don't know when or if you will randomly get zapped back, and that you don't want to leave him and it'll be so much worse if you are married, and that if you're married you are supposed to have kids, and then is where you have to explain to him that you're not 'an innocent virgin' and that is very frowned upon here, and then you can say that all those nightmares about your 'murdered parents' are actually about leaving you.

"It's fine."

"No it's not. Nik I would love to marry you. I'm just not ready." That was the best answer she could give for now. She decided that she would wait, two more months, maybe three and then, if by then she was still here, then she would marry him. "I need a little more time. I'm sorry, and I don't expect you to just wait for me." By this point they had both gotten down from their horses and Nik was tying them in the stables.

"Caroline." He stopped her, "I love you. And I would wait for you for years if I had to, because I don't want to be with anyone but you." As he was talking he was slowly making his way to Caroline. "Love." He added with a smile before kissing her.


	11. Merge

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD/TO/KC/anything - if I did the ending of the Originals would have been very different**

 **Sorry I've been updating less regularly recently - I will try and maintain a three chapters a week sort of policy, we're probably over the half way point and I want to get this story finished before September ideally so, please enjoy and review :)**

 **AN/ This chapter took so long because I kind of had writers block over it, but after this one I know pretty much exactly where I'm going so updates should be more frequent - again sorry! If it sounds forced at any point, it's because it kind of was, I had no idea how to write it to get to the point I wanted it to be at, but I tried.**

It was nearing upon the three month mark. The mark where Caroline had decided she would, not forget, but move on from her past live as a vampire in Mystic Falls a thousand years in the future. She could finally allow herself to completely immerse herself in the world that she was now living in. And be with the person she wanted to be with instead of anxiously awaiting a day where she might get transported into the future.

This three month mark signalled the start of a new beginning, and frankly Caroline couldn't wait. Apparently, Nik seemed to have the same feelings, in that he couldn't wait, just maybe he meant it in a different way. That he couldn't wait, or wouldn't wait any longer. The idea of that scaring Caroline nearly as much as the idea of being back in Mystic Falls.

Nik had been distant for the past week, avoiding Caroline, not talking or spending time with her, apart from minimal conversation at meal times, which of course weren't really of a romantic nature, them being surrounded by Nik's family. It had been a full moon four days ago, and despite their long standing tradition of staying up late and just talking to each other, Nik had spent the time talking with Elijah in a hushed huddle.

Caroline was beginning to think that Nik's speech about 'how he'd wait for her' and 'how he'd always love her' was no longer true, that maybe his feelings had changed and he was too nervous to tell her. Caroline to be honest was getting a bit annoyed, to the point where one day before the anticipated three month mark she confronted him.

It had just been dinner, and Nik had gone to the stables to tend to his horse, after helping Esther and Rebekah with the dishes Caroline decided to follow him there.

"Nik?" She called as she entered the stables, long around and spotting him by his horse, he turned abruptly and looked a little shocked when he saw her.

"Oh, uh Caroline." He said, his surprised expression suddenly turned into awkwardness as he hurriedly pushed something in his pocket. "Why are you here?" He asked bluntly.

"You've been avoiding me." She retorted slightly angry at this point. "All week. What's going on?" She asked demanding an answer,

"No I haven't," Came an immediate response, "I've been busy."

"Right." Caroline replied sarcastically, "So busy, talking to Elijah and petting your horse." She rolled her eyes trying to mask that she was upset with sarcasm. Nik glanced around, as though he was looking for an excuse out of this conversation.

"Caroline," Nik started before halting,

"Yes?" She asked

"I-I-" Nik stuttered

"Have been busy. Right. Seriously Nik, if your just scared to tell me or something, then just man up." She told him, seeming exhausted with how much she was having to prod at him, if he didn't like her, then he should just spit it out.

"What?" Nik replied, "Tell you what?" He asked shifting his hands behind his back nervously.

"That you don't like me or whatever it is that's been bothering you, I'm not five, I can handle it." She rambled angrily,

"What, no." Nik replied shocked, "What, you think I don't like you? You know when I told you I would wait, what I actually meant was, that I would wait. Come on Caroline I told you I loved you, what do you think I was lying or something?"

"Yes you told me that you loved me, but lately your acting as though your feelings have changed, and that, sure, maybe you loved me, but maybe you don't love me."

Nik took a step forward, offended almost by what she was saying, "Caroline, I love you. Present tense, right now. I love you."

"Then why have you been avoiding me?" She asked, her anger starting to dial down, he looked at her carefully, and at his lack of response she began again, "Why? Why are you always 'too busy' for me? Why didn't you talk to me on the full moon - you weren't to busy then."

"I was talking to Elijah," He replied seriously,

"About?" She retorted almost as a reflex, so used to the interrogation that she wasn't fully aware that she was asking about his conversation with Elijah.

"About proposing to you." He responded almost as quickly, again like a reflex. They both paused into silence and Nik took a step back in surprise about what he had said.

"What?" Caroline asked softly.

"You told me three months. These must have been the longest three months of my life." Nik stepped closer to her, "I was waiting for you, counting down the days, tomorrow was, - is, - was, the day."

"Was the day?"

"The day that I was going to ask you to marry me, you idiot." He said affectionately, but with frustration clear in his voice,

"You, were, as in past tense." She looked down, "I ruined it didn't I."

Nik laughed, "Yes love, you sort of did." He paused and raised her chin, "But maybe being impulsive is a good thing," He smiled at her before reaching into his pocket and drawing out a ring.

"Caroline." He laughed again, this time more of a nervous laugh. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes," She replied before adding with a smirk, "Love." Nik laughed again before placing the ring on her finger. "It fits." She commented,

"You can thank Rebekah for that."

"Oh." She looked at him, "That's what she was doing!" She exclaimed,

"Can we stop talking about my sister now?" He asked with a relieved smile, taking another step closer to Caroline.

"Yes." She muttered unfocussed on what she was saying. "We're engaged."

"Yes we are." Nik smiled before kissing her. A few seconds in the horse, which was now standing quite close, neighed loudly.

"Maybe we should go inside." Caroline said happily, "Tell them the news."

"Indeed. Father will be very happy." He looked over at her, before picking her up and swirling her around, evoking a shriek from the former vampire, and Miss Mystic Falls. Caroline remaining in his arms until they reached the door, content to just stay in the comfort of his arms.

He gently put her down and they walked through the door. Mikael and Esther were sitting on the table, Elijah by the fire curiously turned to them as they entered. Rebekah and Kol presumably in the other room, and Henrik most likely asleep.

"You are late." Mikael looked at Niklaus angrily, "Why are you so late boy?" He asked threateningly.

Caroline and Nik looked at each other, unsure of how to break the news when Elijah spoke up from the corner, "I believe the ring on Miss Caroline's finger tells you the answer your looking for father." He said, smiling at his brother.

"Niklaus?" Esther asked,

"Yes, it is true, Caroline and I are engaged!" He exclaimed, putting an arm around her waist protectively, staring at Mikael in the eye as he said it. At these words Rebekah came racing through, beaming from ear to ear, responding to an inquisitive look Caroline nodded, a few seconds later receiving a massive hug from the girl she thought of as a sister.

"Rebekah." Mikael snarled at her show of improper conduct, however no words were said as Esther put an arm on his, sent a warning look towards her husband, before standing up smiling, "Congratulations."

"Thank you mother." Nik replied, before sending a loving look towards his fiancee.


	12. Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own KC/TVD/TO/anything**

 **yep, I haven't updated, kind of struggling if I'm going to be honest with motivating myself for this, because of what happened with the TO finale, and the fact that it's ending,**

 **HOWEVER (and this time I mean it) the story will start to be updated more frequently from this chapter.**

Caroline stared at the band on her finger. Everyone else was asleep but she couldn't sleep, her mind was racing. Last night's events were racing through her mind like a slideshow, going too fast to focus on one slide and moving on to the next one before she could even process what was happening in the last. The band on her wrist was simple, but it fit so perfectly that Caroline couldn't stop smiling.

It was a silver band with an N and a C engraved on it in cursive writing. It was simple and not extravagant like the ones would have been in the modern day but Caroline loved it much more than the ones she used to stare it wide eyed with Elena and Bonnie when they were younger, and she preferred it to her mother's which she'd used to try on which had gems on it and sparkled.

Caroline used to imagine a ring when she grew up which had diamonds in it or 24 karat gold, but this, this was perfect, and what she wanted without even previously knowing what she wanted. It was almost as though Nik knew more about what she wanted than she herself knew.

Caroline tried to stop herself at being apprehensive about potentially going back to Mystic Falls as she knew it, she now had a commitment to Nik, to being a Mikaelson, to being a sister for Rebekah, to look after Henrik, who already felt like her little brother.

Caroline knew that engagements tended to last a short time, and especially considering Mikael's feeling towards Niklaus, she expected to be out of the house in a week, and to be honest she couldn't wait. Sure she'd miss living with Rebekah and Henrik, but it wasn't as though Rebekah wouldn't be where ever her and Nik ended up living anyway, and she was sure they'd visit a lot, and they'd still be able to uphold their full moon traditions, as there was no way in hell Esther was going to risk Nik - and Caroline was beginning to think she may even extend into that courtesy - lives.

That was Esther's one saving grace as a mother, because, even Caroline who had not had the best relationship with her mother (though before she left it was starting to get better), knew that Esther was not a good mother. Maybe she was scared of Mikael, or maybe she was damaged because of the loss of Freya, but losing one child should not mean that she should let her other children who were still alive, be abused by the man she married.

At least she still loved, and cared for her children, at least she tried to keep them safe from dangers, she just failed to recognise Mikael as one of those dangers. Her main failing point.

Caroline still found it odd how much Mikael despised Niklaus above his other children, Niklaus was the only one he regularly hit, he would occasionally strike Kol, Elijah, even Rebekah, but he would constantly belittle and attack Nik for no reason. Always Nik, he would hurt Nik for something that he wouldn't have hurt Elijah for. Or let Nik take the blame for something Rebekah did so he could hit him.

No longer, no longer because soon her and Nik would be married, and live somewhere new without Mikael's presence looming over them, and if fate was truly helping them, like it had helped them find each other in the first place, despite the barriers of time, the Caroline wouldn't go back, and her and Nik would die together, in each other's arms, and have lived a long happy life, and have children and grandchildren. Live together. Die together.

That was the best case scenario. That was the scenario playing through her head as she went asleep and the scenario still playing through her head when she woke up the morning.

She felt a hand on her arm, gently shoving her awake, and slightly frustrated at the interruption of a pleasant dream, she groaned, "Rebekah." She complained rolling over to face her,

"My hair is not that long is it love?" Replied a faux-concerned voice and immediately Caroline's frustrations washed away,

"Nik," She said happily, rolling into his arms,

"Morning love, or should I say fiancee?" He asked with small smile on his face,

"Fiancee." Caroline repeated, "I love that. Not as much as I think I'm going to love husband though."

Nik laughed quietly, aware that his siblings were still speaking, he helped Caroline to her feet and they made their way out of the room, "Soon, love." Nik paused looking at her from toe to head, his eyes scanning her, "I have something to show you, I think that you might want to get changed first though." He laughed slightly, and Caroline returned to the room before coming out with a bundle of clothes,

"What?" Caroline replied to his questioning look, "I can't exactly change in there, what if Kol or Henrik woke up?" Nik laughed, "Turn around," Caroline ordered, and smiling Niklaus turned, impatiently tapping his foot on the floor, "All done." Caroline sighed, "Where to?"

Nik looked her in the eyes, "Home." He murmured, "Don't worry, Elijah knows where we are going and will tell mother if she wakes before we return,"

"Home?" Caroline asked softly, and Nik nodded with an anxious smile. The two left the house and walked out into the open, following a long winding path.

"I started making it when we talked a couple months back, how you said you wanted to marry me and that you weren't ready yet, and all I could think was, when you were ready, I wanted to start this life with you as quickly as possible. I started thinking, if we got married, we couldn't exactly stay there still, we'd need a house, a home, for us and for our kids and-" Nik paused realising what he'd just said but Caroline reached and intertwined her fingers with his, squeezing them in reassurance that that was something she would want with him. Nik continued, "So I started to build a house, I got Eli and Kol to help me, Kol begrudgingly," He snorted slightly, "I finished it two days ago, I mean, not finished, finished, but exterior and structurally, it is complete. I just haven't done furniture yet, I didn't know what you'd want." Caroline stopped them in their tracks, pulling him back to her, before kissing him softly,

"It sounds perfect." She smiled, Nik laughed before in excitement picking her up and twirling her around, deciding not to place her back on the floor,

"Close your eyes," He whispered, and Caroline, still smiling, closed her eyes. A few minutes of walking later Nik stopped and put her down, his hands soon covering her eyes so she wouldn't peek, "Alright, you can look." He told her, slowly moving his hands from her face, instead putting them around her in an embrace, allowing her to lean back into him. Caroline gasped, her head turning slightly,

"Nik." She managed to say, "It's, it's so," She turned and kissed him again, "Perfect." She murmured. Nik let out a huge, relieved smile,

"Phew." He muttered, "You had me worried for a second," Nik walked up to the door and edged it forwards, "You coming?" He asked.

 **AN/ I know - it is a weird place to leave it - sorry. I will try to update this again with by Tuesday latest.**


	13. What We Could Have Had

**Disclaimer: I do not own KC/TVD/TO/anything otherwise ***** would not be **** and neither would ****** or ****** (asterisks because I realise some people will not be up to date and I do not want to ruin anything - but if you are update you are probably (maybe) able to understand that?**

 **Also heavily inspired by grey's anatomy s8 finale (lexie... ya know)**

 **Thank you guys for reviewing and reading, and sorry about this chapter. It is not (obviously) the end, so yeah... again sorry!**

 _"Nik," Caroline said breathlessly, "It's amazing, you - you're amazing. I love you so much."_

 _"Wait," Nik said with a sparkle in his eyes, "Just, wait here, one second no more, I promise, I'll be right back."_

"Caroline," Nik gasped as he ran in, dropping something on the floor with a delicate clang, he ran over to her body urgently, his eyes scanning her up and down, "Caroline you're going to be fine, you're going to be just fine, I promise, just hold on love, hold on." Nik pleaded with his love as she lay on the floor, kneeling besides her, in shock.

"Nik," Caroline replied drearily, she raised her hand to his face caressing it lovingly. "It's okay." She murmured,

"No, no, no." Nik rambled, "No, it is not, and you are not going to die, you can't die." He begged, ripping fabric from his shirt and holding it against her wound, trying desperately to stop the blood pouring out, "Okay, you, you hold this here, and I'm going to run and get help, you're going to be fine, okay, I promise, you will be fine." He got up making his way to leave, his voice wavering as he tried to fight back tears,

"Nik," She grabbed his hand preventing him from leaving her, despite the obvious strain it was for her she stopped him, "There's no time." She paused, searching in his eyes, "I'm dying."

He'd left her here, just minutes ago, he'd gone to get a necklace which he'd procured as a gift for her, impulsively deciding to give it to her in this moment of pure happiness. He'd ran back home, the journey not taking him more than five minutes, him walking decidedly less slower than he had been as he'd been ambling along with Caroline.

He'd collected the necklace from his hiding spot and left the house. Then he'd heard it, a scream as he'd began to make his way back, fear took over him and he ran as fast as he could, the two minute run being a thirty second race for his life. Race for her life.

He'd glimpsed men leaving his house - their house - they'd most likely been robbing it, after seeing Nik leave, not realising Caroline was in their, nor realising that the house was not furnished, in panic had stabbed her and run.

"No," Nik looked around in desperation, the heavy feeling inside of him knowing that there was nothing he could to do help, that Caroline was-, "No. No. You can't leave me. Don't, Caroline, don't go. Please."

Now the engaged couple were both crying, Nik's tears starting to fall down his face, despite his best efforts to try and stay strong in her final moments. Caroline's final moments. The love of his life's final moments.

"Nik,"

"No," He interrupted, "Please, Caroline, please,"

"Nik," Caroline grasped his hand, and Nik immediately clutched it, though one of his hands still held fabric to her wound, trying to prevent her death for as long as possible, still desperately hoping that maybe his mother would swoop in a save them, and that they would marry and have children and this would become something of the past. "I love you." Her voice wavered, her body weak from the strain and the blood loss, she collected herself, "Don't forget that I love you. Don't forget that please."

"I promise, I promise," He reassured her,

"Tell Rebekah I love her and Henrik and Elijah, even Kol," She managed a small laugh, stopping quickly due to the pain it was causing her, "Don't let him hurt you, I don't care how you do it, just be safe, be happy, don't spend your life in grief, I beg you, move on."

"I promise." He managed, whilst stifling a sob, "But Caroline, I will always love you. You are my-" He paused as a tear streaked down his face, the word 'wife' unable to be said, the reminder of the life he should have been having, "Everything. Everything good in my life, this past year has been the best year of my life, all of this is because of you." Nik paused, "You make me happy, you make me good, you make me feel complete."

Caroline let out a weak smile, her hand now shivering in Nik's grasp, unable to say any more words she just looked at him, as he lay besides her, position her so his arms were around her in comfort in her last moments. "I will never forget you," Nik whispered, and Caroline's lips spread marginally, attempting to smile, her mouth opening slightly to respond. No words came out.

It was a few hours later Elijah and Kol found them, Nik had told his brother what they were doing and getting worried as the day had gone on they eventually made their way out to the small house, hurrying as they saw the door wide open, faster as they rounded the door and saw a necklace on the floor, eyes rising to meet with the site of Caroline lying in Nik's arms, tear streaks on his face but no more tears left to cry.

Nik looked up slowly at them, his lips quivering, "It, it just-" He stuttered, struggling to find words to explain, Elijah ran over to his brother, Kol close behind, and knelt down next to him, "She's dead." Nik murmured.

Elijah's words played in the background, blurred almost to Nik, but soon Kol had ran out the house, the sounds of his feet hitting the ground with speed slowly faded, and minutes later the room started to crowd, Esther pushed forwards, followed by Rebekah who gasped at the sight of her best friend, her sister, lying still in her brother's arms.

Esther gently moved Caroline's body away from Nik, his strong hold loosening as he heard his sister's cries, he stumbled over to her embracing her. "It happened so fast, I was gone for a few minutes, and when I came back." He rambled in her ear, the silent shock of the room allowing the words to travel to each person from the village who had congregated in the house after hearing Kol's desperate cries for help. It was far too late for that.

Elijah escorted his two younger siblings out, leading them to grass by the lake allowing Nik to crumble to the floor. His hands were on his head, and he was muttering under his breath urgently talking as though talking to someone.

He was replaying the words Caroline had said to him in those final moments, the things she'd asked her to do, replaying them on repeat until suddenly the night seemed dark, and the village had left. Caroline's body had been taken out of the house he'd made for them and he was left there, feeling more infinitely alone than he had in his whole life, despite his family sitting around him in comfort, despite the knowledge Rebekah felt the pain too. He felt as though something had been ripped away from him, when it was so nearly in his grasp.

Happiness? Love?

The next few days blurred on. Condolences after condolence. The funeral. Her body had been cremated and her ashes scattered in the lake. A grave however was still made, filled with some of her possessions, simple things, her favourite top, a drawing of her by Nik, a bracelet she'd woven with Rebekah, a journal she'd been gifted. Her tombstone read, on Nik's demands, Caroline Mikaelson.

Her ring was put on a string and tied around Nik's neck. The necklace, the reason Nik hadn't been there to protect Caroline, was found a few days after the death. Carefully picked up from a small crack between the floorboards.

Nik had cried over it for hours before finally deciding he wished nothing to do with it, he clasped it round Rebekah's neck, muttering about how Caroline would have wanted her to have it.

Eventually life had returned to normal for the outside world, the rest of the village had forgotten about it more or less, death not being that uncommon, Mikael became indifferent and insensitive, talking more about how Kol should continue to court Tamara, and talking to Rebekah about Jakob, despite her refusals to do anything about it.

Her crush, it hadn't exactly faded, but in comparison to the gravity of the events which had taken place, she felt that that was not what she wanted. She didn't want to leave Nik here, she didn't want him to be alone, nor did she feel like leaving her brother's company.

They were sitting in silence by the fire one day when Nik slowly turned to look at her, a tear in the corner of his eye and a sad, slightly forced, smile on his face, "Will you stay with me until the storm ends?" He asked softly

"I'll always stay with you Nik." She said, her heart crumbling as he echoed the words she'd asked him that night when they were younger, when he'd give her the wooden horse that he'd made, and comforted her when she was scared. To think how far they had come.


	14. Lost

**Disclaimer; I do not own KC/TVD/TO/Anything.**

 **Okay - sorry about the last chapter - it was quite sad for me to write though which is why here I am literally two minutes after posting it, am starting to write the next chapter - because I would not like to be left with that ending for an extended period of time.**

 **Please review - hope you enjoy**

Caroline gasped. Where the hell was she? She patted her chest where she'd been stabbed, nothing, no pain, no blood. Nothing. She glanced at her clothes, jeans, a t-shirt. She looked up and saw the trees, wincing as the sun leaked through the leaves, she rolled over and lifted herself up groaning.

She was dead. Is dead? Was dead? That was when she stopped for a second. That was when she felt the hunger and her pupils dilated. "Definitely some sort of dead." She whispered. She had died, of that she was sure, and she was also sure that that made it the second time? I mean obviously not counting the countless amount of times her neck had been snapped.

She'd died in Nik's arms. But how long ago was that really? The five minutes that it felt like it had been, or one thousand years ago, she wondered, slowly coming to the conclusion that she was in present day Mystic Falls.

She was however, a vampire, not a ghost, meaning that she was alive - well, okay not alive - but alive enough. She gritted her teeth and set her jaw in determination, trying desperately to stop the pressure of tears behind her eyes from seeping out, knowing that if they came they would never stop.

"Okay Caroline, just concentrate, where are you?" She gave herself a mini pep talk, before whizzing round as she heard the sound of a car horn beeping and mindless chatter. She slowly walked over in the direction of the talking and the cars, trying hard to keep one foot in front of the other, her eyes drooped slightly and she cursed as she tripped and fell. "Ow," She muttered, slightly angry but mostly embarrassed, yet thankful that no one had seen her fall.

She slowly got up to her feet and made her way to the road, she sighed as she realised where she was, school. She glanced at herself up and down, she looked like a complete mess, dirty, tired, her hair had a twig in which she quickly pulled out. "Oh god, this is going to be fun." She pushed aside her hunger, trying desperately to not listen to the sound of hearts pumping blood round the body. There wasn't many people outside, a few stragglers, late goers she was guessing by the way they hurried in.

Immediately her thoughts cut to Elena, and Bonnie, Matt, Stefan, Jeremy, heck even Tyler and Ric, were they inside? Only one way to find out.

She cautiously made her way over, ignoring a few startled stares from the few people lingering outside, she tentatively made her way up the stairs, ignoring the pain in her legs - pain from what, she had no idea - then she felt that pain in her chest again, she looked down in surprise to see blood slowly starting to appear, a wound reopening as though she'd just been stabbed, what was this delayed effect or something. Not that it mattered, she was a vampire, she would be fine, it would just make matters slightly more complicated.

Caroline made her way into the hall, students were trickling into classrooms, until suddenly a whisper started, and a whisper spread, and suddenly every head had turned to look at her. Then she heard a familiar voice gasp her name, "Caroline?" Where the words she heard coming from a brunette's mouth, but she was tired, and oh, so tired, she felt her control over her legs fade, she felt weak. She felt her legs give away as she collapsed onto the floor, her eyes struggling to stay open as she heard Elena's concerned words.

"Someone call an ambulance." A voice ordered, but Caroline was no longer conscious enough to recognise who was speaking, she leant her head back, feeling Elena's arms holding her up, wishing they were Nik's.

* * *

The next thing she awoke to was quiet chatter, and beeping, she slowly turned her head to her side, feeling someone's hand on her wrist. She bit back a sob as the words ran through her head, "Mom?"

Liz Forbes twisted her neck around to face Caroline's, her eyes widening, "You're okay, you're okay, you are safe." She repeated, and Caroline closed her eyes again a tear falling down her cheek. She stayed like that for a few moments, before forcing herself to scan the rest of the room.

Damon sat on the sofa besides Liz his arm casually outstretched quickly drew in to awake Elena who sat next to him. He'd obviously been talking to Liz as Elena slept, in front of her Caroline saw Matt leaning against the wall looking nervous, for her health? She wondered before moving on, Bonnie sat on a chair to her right, Jeremy perched on the armchair with his hand comfortingly on her back - well that was a new - Caroline thought, she looked at the tears which had obviously been running down her face, and offered a small smile to try to remove the guilty look on her face.

Her head painfully swivelled round when she heard a voice coming from the doorway, Tyler.

As she made eye contact with him his eyes widened, and he nearly dropped the drinks he was holding, he quickly set them down on a table before seating himself by her feet, shooting her a concerned look and seeming as though he was restraining from talking.

"Where am I?" Caroline asked quietly, returning her attention to her mother

"At the hospital. You're okay," She heard her mother say, as she tried desperately to ignore the pain building in her chest. This move clearly noticed,

"We don't know why you're not healing normally," Damon cut in, "It's just that wound, in every other way you are still a vampire, any new wounds heal normally," That was when Caroline remembered that the pain in her chest wasn't solely from missing Nik, she had of course been attacked,

"I was stabbed," She said slowly, her eyes widening as she began to recall the events more easily, another tear slipping down her cheek, "Nik." She whispered so quietly that if there weren't supernatural beings in the room, no one would have heard it.

"Who's Nik? Why'd he stab you?" Tyler asked sounding possessive and angry,

"What, no, Nik, Nik didn't stab me." Caroline looked confused for a second before figuring it out further, "Some men came into our house trying to rob us and, Nik had gone to get something,"

"How did they hurt you? Were they supernatural?" Matt took his turn in asking,

"No, they just took me by surprise,"

"How, I mean, what about vampire hearing?" Tyler asked

"I wasn't a vampire." Caroline replied reflexively,

"She's clearly delirious," Damon whispered to Liz, "Maybe we should ask questions later,"

"No. I'm not." Caroline said wincing as she sat up, she ignored her mother's concerned looks and continued, "When Bonnie did that spell, do you even know what you did?" She asked Bonnie, not caring that her question sounded angry, she was slightly annoyed at Bonnie's carelessness, but at the moment she didn't care, she wasn't really that angry, Bonnie's mishap had led to her meeting the Mikaelsons and the best year and a bit of her life, she just needed to get the story out and was in too much pain to sugarcoat anything,

"Not really," Bonnie admitted, "Caroline, I'm so sorry,"

Caroline however didn't answer, she just waved off Bonnie's apologies, on a roll, "Bonnie's spell sent me back in time a thousand years." She revealed,

"Definitely delirious," Damon whispered, provoking a glare from Caroline, she needed something to prove it, and she reached for her finger, for her ring, stopping in confusion as it wasn't there.

"Where's my ring?" She asked, her heart dropping at the confused looks she was getting, "When I got here, where did they put my personal belongings?" Caroline asked,

"Caroline, you didn't have any personal belongings." Her mother gently told her,

"What? No, my, my ring." She muttered, her fingers tracing the spot where it had lied for less then a day. "Oh god." She realised, "It's still there."

"Still where?" Liz asked,

"On my body. My body is still there, what the hell?" She was talking mostly to herself,

"Caroline what do you mean?" Liz asked again,

"I died, like really died, I think that's why I'm back here. I think I died a thousand years ago and the spell wore off and I'm back here."

"So your saying you died," Tyler started, and Caroline could already tell by the slightly mocking tone of his voice that she would not like where this was going, "And your corpse has been buried a thousand years ago. Right." Tyler trailed off,

"Cremated," Caroline reflexively replied, and in response to the questioning looks she received, "It was their tradition to cremate not bury, they bury personal items."

"Like your ring?" Her mother asked,

"No, I think," She paused, "I think Nik would have kept that."

"Who's Nik?" Her mother asked her,

"My fiancee." She replied ignoring the shocked looks, she held a hand to her face, finding that she didn't care when Tyler recoiled slightly, in fact she was slightly pleased, "They're dead." She exclaimed. "Like really, really long gone, dead." She let out a humourless laugh. "And I thought I was the one dying. That's why this isn't healing," She began, gesturing to the knife wound, "Because it was inflicted upon me when I was a human, I think," She paused again, "If you give me vampire blood, it'll heal." Tyler and Damon exchanged looks, confusing Caroline greatly,

"Probably best to not give her hybrid blood," Damon muttered, extending his wrist. Caroline nodded at him, taking a small amount of blood from his veins, ignoring her hunger. True to her hypothesis, her wound began to heal, she smiled slightly, before truly thinking about what Damon had said,

"Hybrid blood? What the hell is hybrid blood?" She asked, causing the entire look to exchange glances,

"You, you've missed a lot Care," Tyler decided to say, before his eyes glowed yellow, but his veins around them constricted. "Part wolf, part vampire." Right, thanks Tyler, because that explains everything.

* * *

"Okay," Caroline halted Damon, "Sun and the moon curse, fake, instead hybrid curse on one of the original vampires, who then killed," Caroline stopped herself, brushing past the killed Jenna thing realising that it was probably not exactly what Elena and Jeremy wanted to be hearing, "Then, Klaus was it? Took Stefan on a ripper binge and Klaus didn't know Elena survived the sacrifice, until he came back here, you guys met another Original, Klaus realised that Elena's blood could create hybrids, turned Tyler into a hybrid, got Stefan to flip his switch, then ordered him to protect her, right?"

"All good so far,"

"Elena daggered the new Original, which is basically how you kill them without killing them because you can only really kill them with a white oak stake, which are a limited edition. So then you got the Original Vampire Hunter, a big baddy, to kill Klaus with one of those limited editions which he happened to have, that failed, because Stefan stopped it?"

"Yes."

"Ric became a serial killer, turns out Stefan and Klaus were friends, ages ago, Tyler is sired to Klaus, which means he does what ever Klaus wants him to, and now all the Originals are awake, and so is their mother? And she's invited you to some ball tomorrow night?"

"Pretty much."

"Damn so I leave for 15 months and I miss this much?"

"15 months? It's been five maybe?" Tyler told her, causing Caroline to be very confused,

"So time passed differently. Right this is so normal. All so normal." Caroline shook her head, refusing to get caught up in all of this, "Are you going to this ball?" She asked, and Elena nodded,

"We need to see what the Original Witch wants."

"So despite what I want, in that she be safe," Damon sent a glare at Elena which she returned just as easily, "She's going, and me and Stefan will escort her,"

"Talking of Stefan, where exactly is he?" Caroline asked,

Damon and Elena exchanged another look, however it was Matt who answered, "He was in the tunnels, sorting some stuff," He told her vaguely, but Caroline just nodded, she couldn't be asked to care that much.

"I'm going." She told them,

"Care, it's kind of an invitation thing," Elena replied,

"I don't care, I need a distraction. Distractions are good." She admitted, and Elena sent her a concerned look,

"Your mother won't-"

"Elena, I don't really care about what my mom thinks. I've missed her, and I love her, but she doesn't control my life." Caroline said, shutting down Elena's attempts quickly, and ignoring the looks she was getting.

"I have to go." Tyler said, "I shouldn't really be here, I'm meant to be getting de-sired but you know, I needed to see you," He paused, "Klaus can't know I'm in town. I'm glad you're okay Caroline." He said, before leaving the room.

"He's missed you." Elena said, and Caroline winced, she should have she supposed, she should have missed him, but she didn't really. Instead of saying that however, she just nodded slowly, no need to explain just how much she wanted to go back, when there was likely no way of ever going back. Of ever seeing them again.

"Damn," She whispered as a tear slid down her face, she would never see them again. Never see Nik again.


	15. and Found

**Disclaimer: I do not own KC/TVD/TO/Anything or so many things would have been different about the last season of the Originals...**

 **Writing this chapter did not go at all how I'd previously planned, it was just the kind of way it ended up going, and I prefer to let things flow then force them, however if you want alternative meetings for this chapter, I might set up a spin off fic with a series of one-shots about how Klaroline reunited - review down low and say if you'd want that**

 **Also slightly longer chapter (sorry if you prefer shorter ones I just had a lot to say)**

 **Thanks for reading, please review, and enjoy (hopefully!)**

Caroline sat on the side of the bed, her heart heavy in her chest weighing her down. She stared at the dresses in Elena's closet, it had seemed as though forever when she was last this concerned about what she wore, the simplicities of the world a thousand years ago were beginning to be deeply missed.

Elena finally walked out of the bathroom, beaming a huge smile as she twirled round, "So..?" She asked Caroline,

"I think it's the one," Caroline laughed trying to not sound as though it was being forced,

Elena smiled, "So what do you want to wear?" She asked, "I think this one would look nice," She gestured to an intricately designed red dressm "Or this one, blue suits you." Caroline paused unsure of what to say, it was a weird dynamic now, her and Elena, she'd missed her friend, but not nearly as much as she was missing Rebekah right now, it was also hard, as Elena was trying to be careful around Caroline, she was acting so cautiously around her and it was really starting to annoy Caroline.

Before Caroline could reply they heard a light knock from the door, "Hey, you decent?" Came a very familiar voice,

"Yes," Elena replied, "You can come in," Stefan poked his head round the door, smiling widely as he saw Caroline, rushing forwards to embrace her in a hug,

"I've missed you so much," He said as he withdrew, Caroline smiled weakly,

"Me too." She replied simply, smiling at her preferred Salvatore brother, preferred, as in the one who had not compelled her and told her she was 'useless' and a 'waste of space'. It was an easy choice really, Stefan was her friend, her vampire buddy. "Are you alright?" She asked softly,

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" He retorted sounding slightly confused,

"I heard about, you know." She trailed off slightly and Stefan bowed his head,

"Right," He looked up at her sheepishly, "One day without my sober sponsor," He joked, Caroline squeezed his hand. "Wow, Elena," He said in awe, turning his attentions to the doppelganger, Elena smiled at him, "You look,"

"Amazing," Caroline intervened, feeling slightly more comfortable with the addition of Stefan.

"Yeah," He looked at her frozen for a few more seconds before turning hesitantly to Caroline, "So I heard you wanted to come. Are you sure that's a good idea, I mean maybe you should rest or-"

"I'm sure," She cut in, sending him a sincere look, and Stefan slowly nodded, "Plus, it's about time I meet this big bad wolf and tell him off for what he's been doing," She joked smiling when she heard the sound of laughter from both Stefan and Elena,

"I'm not sure he'd love that nickname," Stefan replied,

"Does that make you little red riding hood?" Elena asked, gesturing to the red dress curiously,

Caroline paused, "I think maybe blue actually," She answered, pointing to the simpler dress, hoping the simplicity of it would make her feel more comfortable. Elena passed it to Caroline to change into, it nearing the time that they would leave for the ball, Caroline quickly changed in the bathroom, smiling slightly at the sight of her in the blue dress, before saddening when she wondered what she'd have been wearing on their wedding day, it would have been soon now, maybe two, three days.

She exited the bathroom, obviously placing a smile on her face to lately, if the concerned looks from Stefan and Elena were anything to go by,

"Care," Elena started,

"I'm fine," She replied quickly,

"You don't need to hide your feelings from us," Elena tried again, "We're all here for you." She put her arm comfortingly on Caroline's, who let out a deep breath she was holding,

"Seriously, I'm fine," She noted the skepticism in their faces, "Alright," She stopped herself from lying to them, "I'm not fine, but there is nothing I can do. So, I might as well go to this ball, meet this Klaus, tell him I'm pissed at him, and try to move on." Elena nodded slowly,

"Let's go then." Stefan said, and Caroline smiled at him, thankful that he dropped the case.

* * *

"Wow." Caroline said, she'd been half hoping to be able to say something bad about the house, that however she could not do. It was white marble, extravagant, it almost looked like it would fit in in the White House, there was a huge road area outside the house, a large fountain in the middle, cars were already parked there and people were going in. Even whilst still in the car you could hear the civilised music and simple chatter.

"I know right." Elena said, "Imagine living here." She added bitterly, obviously feeling the same way as Caroline, that she didn't like, that she was in love with the house.

"So who else exactly is going?" Caroline asked curiously,

"Well other than all the founding families, council members were all invited, any high-up citizen in town really, someone with influence or power, or money, they were definitely invited." Elena replied,

"I barely recognise anyone." Caroline admitted,

"I think there are quite a few from out of town, maybe family friends - if this kind of family has any friends - but you know what I mean, business associates or something maybe. Matt's probably inside with Damon," She added looking at Stefan who nodded,

"Matt?" Caroline asked, "I mean, no offence but why?"

"Reb-" Elena paused, "Right, Klaus' sister invited him, as a date I think." Elena said, sounded slightly disgusted at the thought,

"You don't like her," Caroline guessed,

"Complete bit-"

"She's not that bad," Stefan cut in,

"You only think that because you slept with her." Elena retorted, an eyebrow raised,

Stefan sighed, "That was literally one hundred years ago,"

"I'm so confused," Caroline muttered causing them both to laugh, they made their way up the stairs through the doors, stopping as they entered in awe of the room, then moving on quickly, almost self-loathing in the admiration they had for the house. Soon Damon joined them, taking Elena's arm almost possessively sending a cautious look at his brother, Stefan rolled his eyes slightly, smiling at Caroline as he extended his own arm.

Smiling slightly she took it, not completely understanding why she felt as guilty as she did, the sadness however she did understand, she hated the idea that she and Nik would never dance again.

"Nik?" Came a question from Stefan, completely surprising Caroline, "They told me about your, fiancee?" He asked slightly unsure with his information, Caroline smiled weakly,

"He's dead." She murmured the words tumbling from her lips, "I'm never going to see him again." She said, her bottom lip quavering, she shook her head ignoring Stefan's sympathetic look. "So, which one's Klaus, the big bad hybrid?" She asked attempting to move on the conversation. Stefan's eyes scanned the room, then scanned again, and one more time,

"I can't see him," He told her, "His siblings neither," He added after a couple more scans.

Caroline frowned slightly, "Shouldn't the oldest vampires in the world be entertaining their guests?"

"You'd have thought." Came a voice from behind them, causing Caroline to jump and Stefan to smirk at her slightly,

"Gees Matt, you scared me."

"Sorry, I'd have thought you knew because, supernatural hearing?"

"Not used to having it again," Caroline admitted, it had been a while since she was last a vampire.

"Right," Matt replied looking slightly annoyed at himself for reminding her,

"So where's your date?" Stefan asked,

"She said that it was something to do with Klaus, and she was complaining about her mother picking such an awful day to do the ball, I didn't really understand what was going on, family issue I think."

"Something to do with Klaus?" Stefan asked,

"She kept saying that it was an anniversary of sorts," Matt paused, "I really don't know, so nice to be stranded though," He joked and Caroline smiled at him,

"I wonder what the anniversary is of." Stefan mused curiously, "Klaus doesn't really strike me as the type to get hung up on something," Matt nodded in agreement, these thoughts were soon interrupted by the clanging of the knife to a glass, and a face that made Caroline feel like she was going to throw up.

There were five people congregated on the staircase, each of their faces a stabbing reminder as to what Caroline had lost. Was she hallucinating or something?

"Are you alright?" Stefan muttered and Caroline quickly nodded, not wanting to concern him.

The man who was making the noise stopped and smiled, "Welcome. Thank you for joining us. Firstly, I apologise for my brother, Niklaus," The name curled on his lips freezing Caroline, "Today is the anniversary of a," The man paused, "Very hard day for him, he will most likely be able to join us later."

Across the room Damon and Stefan exchanged a glance, Caroline however found herself fixated on the family on the stairs, Rebekah, Finn, Kol, Esther, Elijah. The idea of a Niklaus being around somewhere upstairs, Caroline knew that she understood the concept of doppelgangers more than to think that they'd ever appear twice as the same family with the same names and still be identical.

"On another point, it has become a tradition of our family, whenever our mother brings us together like this, to all commence the evening with a dance." The voice was scarily identical, the mannerisms the same, the way he held himself, conducted himself, it was so hard for Caroline to not refer to this man as Elijah. "Tonight's pick," He continued on, unaware of the effect each word was having on Caroline, "Is a centuries old waltz, so if you would all please like to find a partner, and join us on the dance floor." Elijah smiled charmingly.

Stefan began to move taking Caroline with him, Rebekah was making her way over to where she'd spotted Matt besides them, "Stefan, no I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I can't, I-" She rambled on, stopping when she saw his comforting look,

"It's fine. Seriously." He nodded reassuringly at her, Rebekah now a few paces away Caroline raised her eyes to meet the blonde, she should stop calling her Rebekah, but it was so hard when the person she saw mirrored the same women that was like a sister to her. Up close she could identify no extra differences between Rebekah and this person. It was scaring Caroline more than werewolves or evil vampires. The Rebekah look-a-like however did not look at her, instead smiling at Matt, Caroline couldn't help but eavesdrop on their conversation,

"Sorry for my absence, Nik's going through a lot today." Her voice sounded exactly the same as well,

"What," Matt paused, "Sorry, it's not my place." He stopped himself,

"It's a difficult time of year," Rebekah replied despite Matt stopping her, "It's fine to talk about, it's been a thousand years it should be fine to talk about. Someone very special to us died." She admitted,

Matt's "I'm so sorry," was interrupted by Tyler's mom approaching them,

"Caroline," She started, not knowing what had gone on during Caroline's disappearance, but aware that she had been hurt when she'd been found, "Are you okay?" She asked sympathetically,

Caroline forced a smile on her face, "Yes, perfect," She looked at Stefan, "If you want to dance I'm sure Stefan would prefer it then standing here with me," She offered, "I'm fine, honestly, I just don't feel like dancing." The mayor however looked unsure, Caroline lightly pushed Stefan forwards with a teasing look in her eyes, and with a glance backwards the two left to the dance floor, leaving Caroline standing in the hall, pretty much alone,

"How do you know Stefan?" Caroline turned around to a small apologetic laugh, "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you," He said, his words trailing off as he looked at Caroline in confusion, confusion that Caroline was certain was echoed in her own eyes, she let out a huge breath, her eyes fixed on his, Elijah, or his lookalike,

"Friend," Caroline managed to say, still in shock, but so was the man standing in front of her,

"I'm Elijah," He said extending his hand, but Caroline could barely move, frozen, she slowly managed to return the handshake,

"Caroline." She all but whispered, gulping slightly at the look on his face.

"How come I've never seen you before? I thought I knew all of Stefan's friends." He replied after getting over his shock.

"I, I've been away." His eyes narrowed,

"A long time," He stated with a short smile.

"How." Caroline paused, "How old are you?" She asked tentatively,

"Twenty four," He replied shortly, Caroline looked at him carefully,

"We both know what I mean." He let out a small laugh,

"What about you, you are a young one, yes?" He asked,

"Seventeen, but eighteen." She replied and his eyebrows raised,

"Very young one, youngest I've seen in a long while." He commented,

"Am I supposed to be proud of that." She retorted and Elijah smiled, "You never answered." She reminded him,

"It becomes a burden to count after this long," He stopped before realising she wanted more, "Over a thousand by now." Caroline's heart stopped, well it would have if she was human. "You look very familiar." He added, "I would have asked if we'd met but you are not yet twenty, and the place I recognise you from was many more years ago then that." Caroline rubbed the back of her neck, unsure of pretty much everything right now.

"You are not dancing." She commented,

"I do not have a partner, not any particular burning desire." He informed her, "My mother should not have chosen today."

"Bad day." Caroline replied, almost as a question, begging for more information, for something that would confirm the idea that was scaring her so much.

"Yes." He paused, unsure of what to do, whether to further explain or not, but her face, it was too familiar, too exact, she was too similar. A doppelganger, but why would there be a doppelganger of their Caroline. It made no sense. "Someone very special died." He started tentatively, "Yesterday was the anniversary of that date, today, tomorrow, the anniversary of dates that her grave was made, that her body was cremated, and her ashes spread. My mother should not have chosen today for this ball, she was not thinking, or she did not consider my brother's feelings, my sister's feelings, my own feelings."

Caroline paused. 'Yesterday was the anniversary of that date' and also the day she'd returned. "Maybe this is not a conversation for here." She offered.

"I believe you are correct." He paused. They were both dancing around the facts, Caroline more so as she had more information than Elijah, yet was offering less.

"Nik," She started, her voice breaking under her despite her wishes. "Eli," She started with a fondness hoping that with this familiarity he would know that it was indeed her, "Can, please show me to him." She begged.

"I don't understand." Elijah told her, "It's you. But, but how?" Caroline stopped herself from allowing a tear to drip down her face, not now, she ordered herself.

"I was never from your time."

"You were sent back to spy? To get information on how to kill us? Was it all a lie?" He asked dangerously, leading her up the stairs, both ignoring the waltz that was going on next door,

"No. I, I did not know. It was an accident me going back in time like that, Bonnie messed up a spell, and I woke up there. Nik and Rebekah found me. I did not know that the Originals were the Mikaelsons, I thought I'd lost you all. I thought you were all dead, imagine my surprise when it turns out, that no, you are not dead, you are instead all the most dangerous creatures in the world, the oldest vampires, by what Elena and the rest say, practically impossible to kill." Caroline ranted, her emotions pouring out of her,

"You didn't know?" He asked skeptically, "You expect me to just believe that."

"You know I loved him, love, him." She looked at him in the eyes, "You know that was real."

"That doesn't mean you weren't sent back on purpose."

"You can trust me."

"I don't know if I can," He retorted just as quickly,

"Eli," Her voice broke slightly, "You know that I would never have awoken Mikael to hurt Nik, or that I would have fought against you, that I- you are, you are just going to have to believe in me, you are like my brother. You know that, so believe in me." She pleaded desperately, Elijah leant his head back slightly, the cogs in his brain obviously turning quickly. Then he nodded.

"I- I trust you."

"Thank you." Caroline replied counting her luck, "Please, where is he." Elijah paused,

"Follow me," He uttered quietly, leading her along a corridor, he paused at one of the doors, "Niklaus." He called, before gently creaking the door open,

Nik lay on the bed, a bottle of bourbon in his hand and more littered around his room, the bottle was tipped back, the liquid pouring out of it down on to his throat. "I'm not going down. Not today, if mother wanted me to attend this stupid ball, she'd have chosen a different date." He snarled, tipping the last drops of the liquor down his throat before smashing it against the wall next to him, not caring that a piece of glass imbedded itself in his hand.

"Niklaus," Elijah started,

"I'm not going down," He interrupted,

"I'm not asking you too," Elijah told him, and the hybrid turned to look at his brother curiously,

"What then?" He demanded, stepping up to get himself another bottle, cursing as he could find no more, he started to make his way out of the room, "I'm going to go get some of your stash," He told Elijah in drunken grief,

"Nik, sit down." Came a different voice, a quieter, calmer, gentler voice, a voice he hadn't heard in over a thousand years. His head whipped to see the person blocking his exit, blonde locks falling down her shoulder, a tear in her eye, "Nik," She pleaded.

"Caroline?"


	16. Safe

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD/TO/KC/anything**

 **Hope you enjoy**

The day Caroline, his fiancee died, that was the day Nik's life changed forever. It wasn't that he was unaccustomed to pain, to losing someone either, he knew he should have another sister, and he knew that she was dead, but that pain was different, it was as though it was ancient history, and it was a pain that Nik had spent his entire life living with, he'd never known her, he hadn't been there when he died. He was in many ways affected by that loss, however that was mainly through Mikael's grief, and the way he converted that grief into anger, mainly focussed on Niklaus himself.

The loss of Freya, to Nik at least, didn't even nearly weigh up to the loss of Caroline. He'd known her, loved her, should have been marrying her. They may have even had children. The loss of Caroline became associated to Nik, with the start of everything, if Caroline had never died when she did, then none of this would have happened.

If Caroline died, Nik wouldn't have gotten depressed and gone out to the woods that fateful night, Henrik wouldn't have followed him. Henrik wouldn't have died, and if Henrik hadn't died, then Esther wouldn't have turned all her children into vampires. They wouldn't have become known as the most dangerous creatures alive, they wouldn't have killed all those people, hurt all those people, turned all those people.

If Caroline hadn't died, then Henrik wouldn't have died, because everything would be different. Nik would have probably never known that Mikael wasn't his true father, that he was part werewolf, that in the end it was his kind, - him - responsible for the death of his little brother.

All of that however did happen. Caroline died. Henrik died. They became vampires, to roam the earth and feed on innocents. To become monsters.

Nik's greatest fear was always that of what Caroline would think of him now. Was she watching over him from above? Disgusted by who he'd become? Nik wouldn't blame her. He had no idea how she could ever love this part of him, the person he'd become when he'd lost her.

It had been a thousand years and yet still, nearly everyday his thoughts were interrupted by a memory of her. There were only five or so people in the world who still knew that face, the blonde long locks of hair, the swirling blue-green eyes, her laugh, it was nearly all forgotten.

It scared him, the idea that she could ever be forgotten, the idea too, that he would never see her again, that he was immortal and she was dead. How their paths would ever cross again, and whether Caroline would actually love him, or at least want to see him, he'd done terrible things, and she was a kind person, one who would surely hate him for the damage he'd inflicted on the world.

Fear of forgetting her face led to the drawings, plastered on the walls, never good enough, they could never truly represent the person beneath, and Nik was beginning to wonder whether, over time, his memory of her had been warped, that he was remembering her features wrong, that he could no longer picture her so easily in his head.

That was why he was so surprised that day in Mystic Falls, the first day when he'd been in that history teacher's body, when he'd gone into class and caught sight of her, identical. But what if she wasn't identical, what if his mind was just playing tricks, and his insanity had reached new bounds, those fears had been confirmed when he never saw her again.

Her name however, whispered through out the town constantly, at first Elena and the Salvatores had approached him, angrily demanding that he tell them of where Caroline was, not his Caroline, their Caroline, but his chest felt heavier at the thought. Was there a doppelganger around? Had his mother played another cruel trick on him?

He knew that this Caroline they were looking for was the sheriff's daughter, that when he'd arrived she'd disappeared, he also knew that their witch had been involved with her disappearance. He was confused, but everything could be played off as coincidences or tricks, of him simply misremembering the memories, it had been a very long time after all.

His years had been haunted by Caroline. He'd never been able to find love again, not as strongly, not as pure, because no longer was he pure. He was tainted with evil, and eventually instead of being tainted, he became evil, he became the monster his mother made him into.

There had still been women, Aurora nearly a century after he'd been turned, he'd liked her sure enough, but he hadn't loved her, he hadn't been able to love her, not properly, not right. There had been others too, brunettes, blondes, vampires, humans, but never had Nik been able to find someone like her.

He never would.

Sometimes he wished death would take him, allow him to be with her, sometimes he wished that Stefan hadn't stopped his father from killing him, sometimes he wished that that dagger had entered his heart and he no longer lived in this world.

His fear however normally stamped out those wishes as quickly as they came.

He could admit it, he was afraid. Afraid of death, afraid that there was no afterlife, no peace, or maybe there was an afterlife, but he was undeserving, that he would go to hell and live his days in torture. He was in many ways more afraid that there was some peace, that Caroline was waiting for him, but that after all he'd done, she hated him. How couldn't she? He wouldn't blame her, he hated himself too.

But, somehow there she was, standing in the door way, calling his name softly, a thousand years later, and she had not changed a bit. Fear enveloped him. What did this mean? Was this even Caroline? The way she said his name, her voice, her hair, her eyes, the way Elijah stood next to her, he'd shown her to his room, which meant he trusted her? Knew her to be Caroline?

Confusion. Fear. Yet he couldn't help but be happy, if she was a ghost, maybe a hallucination as a result of one too many bottles of bourbon, at least he could see her again, at least he could see her face, hear her talk.

Caroline? He asked, before realising that his lips weren't moving, that they were frozen, she said his name again, "Caroline?" He asked softly, his voice ladened with mixed emotions, nerves, confusion, excitement, he seemed apprehensive, unsure.

"Nik," She repeated again, as though she too was in shock, "It's me, it's me, I'm here." A tear ran down her face as she came over to him, falling into his arms in embrace, "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry, I didn't want to leave you. I didn't, I really, really didn't," She cried, rambling, tears streaming down her face, he noted Elijah slowly, quietly closing the door behind him, exiting the room, but he did not hear his footsteps leading away, he was staying outside, guarding them almost, allowing them to have their time together.

"I've missed you so much." Nik whispered in her ear, withdrawing slightly and holding her face gently in his hands.

"I thought I'd never see you again, I was so scared." She mumbled, her eyes locked in with his, almost analysing his face as desperately as he was sure he looked to her. Nik pulled her in again,

"How?" He paused, his mind racing so fast, "How are you here?" Caroline withdrew from the hug, keeping her arm on his comfortingly,

"It's a long story." She murmured.

"We have all the time in the world," He replied with a smile, his hand absentmindedly running through her hair, "Love."


	17. Let's Talk

**Disclaimer: I do not own KC/TVD/TO/anything**

 **Also I know this is a bit angsty, I originally wrote it as way too fluffy (if you know what I mean), but then rewrote it as that just would be completely unrealistic and out of character, so sorry if you don't like this chapter, but stick through it and I'll get to normal Nik and Caroline again, I promise.**

 **Also by the way going a way for a couple of days (not long) so won't post until Sunday/Monday**

"I think it's time we go downstairs." Nik said, his voice was slightly strained, he was tired, confused, he was of course happy, but things weren't as simple as that, it had been a thousand years, and all this time she'd been from a different time, friends with Salvatores and doppelgangers on top of that - friends with people who had been trying to kill him, friends with people who he'd tried to kill.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Caroline - he did - it was that he felt like he no longer was deserving of her, that maybe she no longer trusted him. A lot had changed in a thousand years, he used to be a victim to his father's abuse, and yes, a part of him still was that scared little boy who got hit by Mikael for not being his son, but now he was also a hybrid, a werewolf and a vampire, the original hybrid, he was a monster. He had killed more than he could count, hurt more than he could count.

He was no longer a good person, no longer good enough for her.

Caroline was also dealing with the fact that Nik, her Nik, her fiancee, was the dreaded and feared Klaus Mikaelson, the 'big bad wolf' as she herself had put it earlier, she still loved him, she could never not love him, but somehow through all of this he'd come out a worse person - and it was her fault.

Her guilt stemmed from the idea that if she hadn't died then he wouldn't have died, and that Henrik, sweet, innocent Henrik who was like a baby brother to her, wouldn't have died. She knew inside that if she too had suffered as he had, had spent a thousand years without him, she'd have been driven crazy, she'd have done terrible things. That one day without Nik had showed to her a life without him, and it hurt, it was terrible and scary the idea of living eternity without him, it made her want to hurt someone so she could feel the pain that they had.

She would forgive him, she had on many levels already had, but they weren't the same people, and she knew they both needed to come to grips with that before they could go back to the way they were, she still loved him she just needed time, and lucky for her Nik knew, and understood that.

"Right." Caroline said looking up at him, "I, I don't know how my friends will react to..." She trailed off,

"Right, your friends, Elena, Stefan, Matt, Damon." He replied slightly bitter at the thought that she was friends with them, and not only that, but slightly bitter at the idea of this whole other life that Caroline had and didn't tell him about, another life that did not involve him, or maybe even did involve him, but rather then involve him as her love, as her fiancee, it involved him as a villain, a killer, a monster.

"Damon," She said quietly laughing, "Not sure if he'd quite fit under the lines of friendship." She muttered causing Nik's face to twist into curiosity,

"In what way?" He asked, trying to hide the threatening tone under his voice, he hated the idea of Damon hurting his Caroline.

"No," Caroline looked up, almost shocked that he'd heard her before a look of realisation came over her face, in that moment she'd forgotten that he too was a vampire. "Damon, Damon's just, he's not someone I would necessarily consider a friend, he's not exactly the best person."

"Nor am I." Nik murmured softly,

"It's very different," Caroline immediately responded,

"Is it though? He lost his love for a hundred years, I lost mine for a thousand, neither of us are the face of good are we?" He asked rhetorically,

"Nik, the way Damon hurt people, hurt me, and the way that you hurt people are very different." She replied, wincing slightly at the anger on his face, impossible to be contained.

"The way that Damon hurt you?" He asked dangerously,

"It's nothing."

"No, it's not."

"A conversation for later." Caroline looked at him telling him firmly that the matter was dropped, and reluctantly the 'most powerful creature on the Earth' nodded, submitting to his love's wishes. Caroline walked over to the doorway, turning slightly, "Are you coming?" Came the question,

"I figured you wouldn't want to be seen with me." He replied almost sounding nervous.

Caroline sighed, "Nik, we may not be in the best place right now, but you are still my fiancee. I still love you, you know that right?" Nik looked up slowly, relief and surprise on his face, "Right?" Caroline repeated,

"Right." Nik replied unconvincingly, "You still want to marry me?" He asked his fingers toying at string around his neck,

"Yes," Came an immediate response, "Not right away, but give me time and yes."

"Maybe you'll give me another opportunity to propose and not ruin it this time." He joked, a huge, relieved smile spreading across his face at the sound of Caroline's laugh,

"Cross my heart," She said her hand tracing the action, "Come." She said simply, waiting for him by the doorway and taking his hand in hers, squeezing it reassuringly. She kept her hand in his until they reached the end of the corridor, she looked at him before gently dropping his hands, "My friends would drop dead if they saw me holding the big bad Klaus Mikaelson's hand." She commented, causing Nik to laugh weakly, already missing the feeling of her hand in his,

"Of course." He said sending her a brief smile as they began walking again, his eyes darting around the room looking for his siblings and mother, the two reached the bottom of the stairs before he finally spotted one particular blonde entering the room at the far side, "Follow me," He told Caroline who curiously obeyed him,

They weaved in between talking couples, Nik occasionally smiling and exchanging brief words with certain people, apologising for his earlier absence.

"Where are we going?" Caroline finally asked,

"Patience," He reprimanded with a smile, "Et voila, Rebekah."

"I didn't know you spoke French," Caroline started, the words dying off but still being spoken quietly as her eyes raked in the sight of Rebekah before her,

"Nik," Came her voice as she embraced her brother, she pushed him back slightly looking at him concerned, "Are you okay?" She asked him, her hand remaining on his shoulder,

"Better than okay," Came his confusing response, "The storm is over."

"What?"

"I asked you to stay with me until the storm is over that night, remember?"

"Of course, but, how is," She paused confused but Nik didn't wait for her to speak anymore, Matt and Caroline meanwhile, were exchanging odd looks, Caroline tearing her eyes away from Rebekah to see Matt mouthing something along the lines of, 'What are you doing with him?' but before she had any chance to respond she heard her name sounded softly,

"Caroline?" The person being addressed immediately whipped her head round, causing the speaker to step back a step,

"Beks," She said fondly, ignoring Matt's confusion,

"It's really you?" She asked, not waiting for an answer instead turning to face her brother, "Is this real? It's really her?" Nik nodded as Caroline replied,

"It's really me." Laughing as Rebekah embraced her in a hug, not noticing to the side Matt doing his best not to faint.

"Holy crap I've missed you, but how? I mean, I don't understand." Caroline sighed slightly, she was not in the mood to explain this for a third time tonight,

"Later?" She half-begged, and Rebekah nodded hesitantly, wanting to know answers, but also seeing how her friend was tired and guessing that she'd already explained herself at least once tonight. Questioning could wait a little.

"Anyone feel like cluing me in?" Matt, who'd finally managed to find words, asked.

"Caroline and I go back, a long way." Rebekah said with a laugh which Caroline quickly joined in with, Nik content to just hear the sounds of his love laughing again, still in awe that she was really here before him, still wondering absentmindedly if perhaps this was a dream, if it was he really didn't want to wake up.

Any further explanation rooting from Rebekah's vague answer was interrupted by the sound of Esther preparing to make a toast, Caroline stifled her laughter as Nik rolled his eyes at his mother, "This'll be interesting." He whispered, taking a glass a waiter offered him, Rebekah taking one as well but Caroline wasn't in the mood for alcohol.

"Maybe you've had enough." Caroline muttered, taking the glass from him and laying it down on the table, he smirked down at her, "What?" She asked,

"Nothing." He murmured, "Listen." He then ordered with a laugh, obviously not caring at all about what his mother was saying, something about unity of her family, about the Mikaelsons finally being reunited and how they hoped to stay in Mystic Falls for a while, and help the community. Nik tentatively put an arm around Caroline's waist, "If only she knew the extent to how united we were, she'd probably drop dead in shock." He said as everyone said cheers, noting the way his mother looked at him when she realised he was not drinking, noting how her eyes had scanned for the rest of his siblings to check that they were drinking, noting protectively how her eyes glanced down to the blonde besides him, noting how her eyes widened, before narrowing.

His mother was up to something, and Caroline being here was somehow screwing it up.


	18. Catching Up

**Disclaimer; I do not own TVD/TO/KC/ or anything really,**

 **Sorry I've been a while, school has been overwhelming as I'm entering a very important year and I've been swamped with sports and work and then more work, and then the little free time I've had I've not been in the mood for writing - sorry.**

 **However, don't worry I will NEVER abandon this story, and hopefully before October ends it should be done (hopefully sooner) \**

 **Also sorry I am so bad at writing angst. Also sorry it's not that long...**

 **Hope you enjoy - and quick tip if you want me to update faster review - I love reading them all they make writing this story a much happier experience.**

Esther looked pale as she eyed the blonde by Nik's side, shaking her head slightly as if she was seeing a ghost - a feeling Nik could relate too very much - but he himself was still frowning at his mother's behaviour, he didn't trust her, he never would if he was honest.

There was no way a part of Esther wouldn't blame him for Henrik's death, and there was no way that she didn't have some resentment for the violent way he'd killed her. It may have been a thousand years but forgiveness did not ever come that easily.

"Fresh air?" He asked Caroline, murmuring softly in her ears, the blonde whispered some words into Matt's ear, Nik trying to give her privacy and avoid listening in slowly scanned the room, Caroline turned to him,

"You coming?" She asked, a smile toying at her lips begging to break out, reluctant however, reluctant for many obvious reasons.

"Anywhere with you love," He whispered doubting for a moment whether she'd heard him, before remembering that she was a vampire and could easily hear that. She slowly reached out brushing with her finger the side of his hand, knowing that unless she wanted hundreds of questions from the Salvatore's or Elena that she couldn't intertwine her fingers with his as she so desperately wished too. The two exited the room, escaping the scrutinising glare from Esther that followed their backs even as she was talking to Mayor Lockwood.

"Something's off with my mother." He noted making conversation as they walked amongst the cars, the contrast to how they would have been walking, to what Caroline was merely days ago, was obvious.

"I did notice that," Caroline replied, "She certainly did not look happy to see me." She commented with a snort and a wry smile, "Why are my future in-laws such pains?" She asked to the sky,

"Don't worry love, Mikael's no longer an issue, you'll only have to deal with my mother, and who knows how long she'll be around."

"You want to be an orphan?"

"I never said that, but I will not let her touch you." He swore the sudden anger in his voice surprising Caroline slightly, her heart jumping only to be calmed down by the sheepish smile he directed her, "Sorry. I just, I can't lose you. Not again." He said after a pause, looking down in astonishment as her hands covered his comfortingly.

"Not anytime soon." She promised, a part of her dying to seal that promise with a kiss, a bigger part of her knowing that not only was she not ready, but that this was hardly the right setting. Nik smiled slightly looking down at the floor, before his head darted up,

"Do you hear that?" He asked, not waiting for an answer before he turned to the balcony, his eyes narrowing as he saw Kol and Matt exchanging a handshake.

"Is that Matt?" She replied referencing the pained noise that was coming from the balcony, "It seems I have another reintroduction to have fun with." She said striding away towards the house, Klaus on her heels. They weaved their way through the crowds, bounding up the stairs before coming to the balcony.

"Stop it." Caroline demanded angrily, "Kol Mikaelson." She reprimanded, his head twisted round to look at her, his eyes widening in shock.

"Let go of the quarterback." Nik said almost lazily, "Never know when the world will need a quarterback." He added quietly causing Kol's mouth to morph into a smirk.

"Indeed brother." Kol replied, letting Matt go with a indolent smile, "And who is this blonde by your side?" He asked tentatively, pushing for reassurance to what he was saying, whilst trying to maintain the arrogant persona.

"Has it really been that long?" Caroline asked, "I mean you've grown a little, I suppose, more arrogant for sure, but you always where arrogant before and we all know how vampireness enhances some of those qualities. Your voice is definitely deeper, not sure that it had completely dropped last time now had it." She teased him, grinning victoriously at the arrogant look on his face becoming more humbled.

"It's really?" He trailed off, his eyes darting between his brother, and his brother's girl.

"It's really." Caroline stated, but Kol's reassurance came more from Nik's slight nod of the head.

Kol laughed, "Do I even want to know how?"

"Such a long story, and if I'm telling it again, you may as well get Rebekah because I will not repeat it again after that. Not tonight though." She added as an afterthought, "I mean, this is a party right?"

"Indeed it is Caroline. Do you want me to go find some chairs for you to be OCD about?" He taunted easily, the three slipping into old habits, forgetting the quarterback with ever increasing confusion at their side.

Caroline blushed slightly as Nik laughed,

"What the hell is going on?" Matt demanded, finally unable to prevent himself from intervening.

"Compel him?" Nik whispered in her ear causing her to grimace at the idea of having to compel her friend,

"I don't know if he ingests it, but the bracelet he's wearing on his hand has vervain in too," She replied quietly, making sure Matt wouldn't be able to hear her, another grimace appearing on her face as Kol ripped it off his wrist and dropped it to the ground. Shaking his hand slightly with a suppressed groan,

"Bloody vervain." He spat before turning to face Matt, "Forget any knowledge about this conversation. Forget what two plus two equals." He said his eyes dilating,

"Seriously?" Caroline asked,

"Need to check somehow blondie," He retorted with a grin before turning his attention to the quarterback again, a hand on Nik's arm stopping him from speaking,

"Forget about the earlier conversation with Rebekah and Caroline also, forget any idea that Caroline's time travel ventures were to a time with the Mikaelsons."

"What's two plus two?" Kol asked with an impish smile,

"Two plus?" Matt looked confused, "What the hell, what is two plus two?"

"Very good." Kol sniggered,

"Remember what two plus two is," Caroline compelled Matt whilst rolling her eyes at Kol, unable to hide the fondness in them for the annoying boy who'd become a brother to her. "Don't hurt Matt." Caroline ordered Kol, whilst reattaching the bracelet onto - what seemed like - one of the only human's left in Mystic Falls, "He may just be a quarterback, but he's my friend." Kol nodded slightly, walking off to find some other thing to hold his interest, Matt, in a confused stupor walked down the stairs to find his date leaving Caroline with Nik.

"Your friends will be questioning your whereabouts if you stay any longer." Nik told her reluctantly, not wanting to let Caroline out of his reach,

"I'll just tell them I was arguing with the big bad wolf," She said with a small smile.

"Big bad wolf." Nik replied, "Your fiancee ladies and gentlemen." Caroline looked down at the ground for a second before abruptly raising her head, pecking him on the lips and walking off leaving Nik behind.

Leaving Nik behind with something he hadn't had for a long time. A racing heart and a small flush on his cheeks as he watched the retreating form of Caroline Forbes.


	19. Protect

**Disclaimer: I do not own tvd/to/kc or anything really, otherwise legacies would not have been the spin-off I'd have chosen - something more Kol and Davina or afterlife, idk really just don't really care about another boarding school + magic**

 **Sorry for taking so long to update - lots of work and other stuff going on so, instead of giving you excuse I guess I'll just write this chapter!**

Caroline sat in silence the car journey back to her house, Elena and Stefan were in the front of the car having some trivial conversation that Caroline was trying her hardest to ignore before her own name got called out, dragging her from her own reflections of the eventful night she'd just had.

"Caroline have you even been listening to a single word I've been saying?" Came Elena's voice, impatiently asking her the question she already knew the answer to,

"Huh?" Caroline began as she broke out of her thoughts, "Sorry I was just thinking about- not important." She paused slightly ignoring their assuming looks, probably thinking she'd been thinking about Nik, which was true, just not in that way, 'that way' being the he's dead and has been for a thousand years, whereas reality said that it was more like, he's actually alive, he's Klaus - you know the big bad hybrid who tried to kill you and did kill Jenna - not that Caroline was about to correct them. "I didn't realise you were talking to me, sorry." She added, offering a guilty smile to Elena.

"It's fine. Just, basically Esther tried to link all her children together so she would be able to kill them all, to kill Klaus I guess, the others are all a little easier to kill." She informed Caroline, who was now definitely listening.

"Wow, and mother of the year goes to..." Caroline trailed off in surprise, she knew Esther was never the best mother but actually killing her children? Esther had always used to want to protect them, she hadn't been the best at it, but you could tell where her heart was.

"Right because Klaus is such a good son. She's just returning the favour, I mean he did kill her all those years ago." Elena replied, and Caroline had to bite her tongue to stop her from retorting with knowledge she shouldn't have, trying to stop herself from jumping to Nik's defence. "Anyways, Klaus didn't drink, he was busy talking to you." Elena realised her eyes now fixated on Caroline's suspiciously, "What were you talking about anyways?"

"Tyler." Caroline quickly responded, the lie had already been at the tip of her tongue in case this scene played out, "I was just telling him to back off." She continued, causing Stefan to laugh,

"I'm sure Klaus loved being ordered what to do, I'm surprised he didn't rip into your neck." He said incredulously,

"I don't think he was really listening to me, he seemed a bit distracted to be honest." Caroline replied, scrambling to further the lie.

"Esther told me." Elena paused slightly, allowing the suspense to build. "Apparently back in the pre-vampiric days Klaus had a fiancee who died just before they were to be wed, and still isn't over her."

"Wouldn't that have been like a thousand years ago though?" Stefan asked, "He still hasn't gotten over her?"

"Apparently not, I mean it just seems a bit out of character doesn't it? Klaus being in love. It just seems wrong." Elena replied,

"It kind of makes sense actually, I mean, imagine the person you love most dies, then you are forced to spend eternity alive, never to see them again." Stefan sneaked a glance at Elena, trying to be subtle in the action, "I can't imagine how hard that'd be." He added softly causing Elena to look at him curiously, but he'd already returned his focus to the road.

"He's still a monster." Elena started, "Just because he's felt pain doesn't make it right for him to inflict pain on others like he has."

"Right because we're all flawless." Caroline retorted angrily, unable to contain herself, "I mean Damon's a complete dick who compelled me to be with him, and Stefan definitely never went on a ripper spree or anything right?" Stefan lowered his head slightly at the reminder of his past causing Caroline to feel momentarily a sense of guilt at what she'd said.

"Klaus is evil, you can't seriously compare Stefan or Damon to him." Elena replied incredulously

"Maybe not Stefan, but Damon, look sorry but Damon's not a good guy-"

"Why? Why do you hate Damon so much?" Elena interrupted,

"Seriously?" Caroline huffed, "I spent a good month under his compulsion, forced to do whatever he wanted me too." Caroline said, her voice breaking slightly, "But it's fine because you forgive him, so I have to right?" Caroline shoved the car door open and slammed it behind her, striding angrily to her front door, wishing that Nik was inside the house to comfort her.

* * *

"Niklaus." A voice called impatiently from above, "Let's talk."

Nik stifled a groan as his mother appeared, "Mother. Of course. What are we talking about may I ask?"

"Caroline."

"Elaborate." Nik smirked, as Rebekah cast an amused look over at him,

"About her presence her at the ball. What did you do?" She demanded of him, anger and annoyance both obviously present in her tone

"Nothing. Well," Nik paused, "Actually not nothing." He began angrily, "I turned up to your stupid ball, despite your stupidity at putting it on this day." He said angrily, "I mean, did you forget or just not care? Really, I want to know."

"I thought after a thousand years you might have actually moved on Niklaus. However imagine my confusion that when you did deign to grace us with your drunken presence you showed up with said dead girl on your arm."

"Watch your tone." Klaus warned her dangerously, "Don't talk about her with that little respect."

"She's alive." Esther continued ignoring the warning.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Klaus replied causing his siblings to smirk at his mother's failure to gain information.

"Caroline was here tonight, and you were conversing with her as though a thousand years had not passed." Esther continued, determined to understand.

"Again. No idea what you're talking about. However I do request that you stop talking about my, dead, fiancee? As you said, it may have been a thousand years, but I have not moved on. I will not just move on."

"And is that because she's alive?" Esther asked,

"If you do not believe me when I say that Caroline isn't alive, then you are being stupid, and unwilling to hear the truth. Please stop. Caroline is dead and she has been for-" Nik's lip trembled. "Mother. I do not know what you saw but I do know that Caroline is dead, please, just please can you-" He lowered his head as Rebekah rested an arm on his back,

"Mother I think that's enough." Elijah intervened, anger laced into his tone, "Drop it." He demanded, standing his ground as Esther whirred round at him with surprise in her eyes.

"You defend him."

"He's my brother, my family."

"Am I not also your family Elijah. I am after all the one who gave birth to you, I am your mother."

"Not a good one. Not one worthy of being defended. You never protected us from father, you turned us all into monsters, you blame Niklaus for Henrik's death. That's not on him. That's on you, you suppressed his true identity from himself, trying to make him be an outcast before imprisoning a part of him from himself, just because you couldn't control your urges nor your embarrassment."

"Show some respect." Esther spat angrily, hurt at the words coming from her favoured son.

"You have earned none." He replied, having moved around the room so he stood in between Esther and his siblings, "You show none to us, ignore what we need, and blame us for the people you have turned us into."

"Always and forever." Rebekah paused slightly, her voice soft yet unwavering, "Does not include you." Esther's eyes met her daughter's, shocked to find them cold and unforgiving. "You should have stayed in that coffin."

"Rebekah?" Esther replied, trying and failing to hide the hurt in her voice. She may be a terrible monster but she was still a human being, a part of her still cared for her children, she just did not care for the monsters inside of them.

"You are no longer welcome here." Kol added, showing his mother that he agreed with his other siblings. "Take your pet," He snarled as his head nodded over to Finn who stood by Esther's side, "And leave."

 **AN/ bit of an abrupt ending but it kinda made sense to me so idk...**


	20. Fear

**Disclaimer: I do not own tvd/to/kc or anything really, otherwise the show would have focussed more on the love triangle between klaus, caroline and stefan then the love triangle between damon, elena and stefan**

The next few days consisted of Caroline and Klaus not seeing each other once, Caroline having a relatively uneventful return to school - uneventful in comparison to being a time traveling vampire, a lot of whispers and staring and questions, but Caroline could deal with all that, the pregnancy rumours amused her somewhat though, until they got annoying but she shut them down just as quickly, saying she took a break to be with her father instead. Esther's removal from the Mikaelson house, taking her eldest son Finn with her had not gone unnoticed by the gang, presuming (incorrectly) that Klaus had somehow found out about the plot to kill them all, and instead of killing her, cast her out.

Elena and Caroline had mostly avoided each other for the first couple of days after their fight, before Elena went to Caroline before she returned to school, saying that she was sorry and she knew Caroline was just upset about Nik, Caroline being too frustrated to correct her, having to try hard to push down her anger and slight amusement when Elena stated that, "You just don't know Klaus yet."

A lot of Caroline's time had been spent either half heartedly trying to catch up with school work (not that she really saw the point) and spending time with her mother, who had become very confused at Caroline's sudden change in attitude since the ball, how she no longer seemed so upset. Liz became obsessed with the idea that Caroline was just hiding her grief, and at one point got Damon to make sure she hadn't flicked the switch, but eventually she moved on, or at least, stopped constantly pestering her daughter about the matter.

There was the small issue of a murderer going around Mystic Falls, (small in comparison to supernaturals) however as of it's potential connection to a killing spree in 1912 Damon was on that case, for now at least.

"Caroline?" Came that voice, whining slightly at Caroline's lack of effort in even pretending she was listening,

"Yes, sorry what?"

"Could you just try and listen, this is kind of important." Elena asked her, trying to not sound annoyed, but irritated with Caroline and irritated with herself, and her inability to connect with the girl she'd considered her best friend since her disappearance.

"Yeah, sorry, brief update?" She asked with an apologetic smile and Stefan quickly jumped in,

"So we think we have a way to kill Klaus." Stefan began causing Caroline to immediately jump up, now she was certainly listening,

"Go on." She said,

"Wickery Bridge was made out of white oak stake,"

"But Damon's friend burnt it." Caroline replied sharply,

"Not all of it, the sign was also made out of white oak." Stefan smirked at Caroline's look of surprise, mistaking it for joy instead of fear. Fear for the lives of her family.

"So you, we can kill him, we can kill all of the Mikaelsons?" She asked trying to use her acting skills to hide how afraid she was of the answer.

"We can, and we will kill them. Tonight." Damon intervened, a smug smirk slapped on his face.

* * *

It wasn't long after that Caroline found herself at the door to the Mikaelson house, pushing aside the feelings of guilt for betraying her friends, she pushed open the door. "We have a problem." She called, closing the door behind her.

Kol raised an eyebrow curiously as Caroline made her way to the living room, he was lying leisurely on the coach, Rebekah now, having made her way through hearing Caroline's voice, was standing by the edge of it next to Klaus who was sketching in a book.

"Perhaps you could elaborate on that." Came Elijah's voice from behind her, his hands twiddling with the cuffs of his sleeves.

"My friends are trying to kill you."

"Nothing new there love." Nik replied quickly, his eyes raising to meet hers, a soft smile on his face at the sight of her.

"Yes, except, now they actually can." She paused before forcing down the guilt, sure, she'd always choose the Mikaelsons first, but that didn't mean she wouldn't feel any remorse from effectively stabbing her friends in the back. "They found white oak, from Wickery bridge." Caroline explained trailing off at the end as Kol looked accusingly at Rebekah.

"That was your job." He snarked, a menacing undertone to his words,

"Which I completed." She replied sharply,

"The sign?" Caroline asked with a raised eyebrow at which point Rebekah looked down in realisation.

"It doesn't matter." Elijah intervened, preventing Kol from saying anything further. "We are now aware of the issue so we can prevent it."

"They're going to try and kill you tonight." Caroline added, unable to keep the fear from her voice.

"Don't worry love, the situation is quite easily handled, we will just be extra cautious." Nik reassured her, walking over to her, "Trust me, there is no way we are being split up just after I found you." He whispered in her ear.

"If they have the means to kill us, they will most likely also conjure up some plan, which will most likely rely on one of them making their way over here relatively soon. You should probably go." Elijah said, directing his statement at the blonde - to be more specific, the time travelling blonde and not the original vampire blonde. "It is probably best they don't," He paused, "Figure out our connection." He finally said, placing the words carefully.

"Right." Caroline hesitated before vamp-speeding her way out of the building. As she got in her car her phone pinged, a text from Elena to meet her at the high school. The thoughts of it being bizarre and odd briefly occurred to Caroline, who then ignored those instincts, figuring that it was something to do with the plan to kill her fiancee.

* * *

"Elena?" Caroline called, "Where are you?" She asked again, the words echoing of the walls being the only response to her calls. "Elena?"

"Caroline Forbes." Came a voice from the darkness, a familiar voice.

"Ric is that you?" She paused as the history teacher walked into the light. "Creepy much?" She snarked, "Where's Elena and the others?" She asked,

"Elena's in there." He said gesturing to the classroom, Caroline shot him curious look before wandering into the classroom, only to be halted by the door at the sight of Elena tied to a chair passed out. She ran to her to try to get her out only to be stopped as her skin burnt at the touch of the ropes. "Vervain." She hissed before spinning round to face Alaric. "What the hell is going on?" She demanded angrily.

"Isn't it obvious?" He smirked before snarling, "I want to kill you."

"Ric?" Caroline asked, slowly edging backwards away from him,

"New and improved." At which point, taking Caroline by surprise he sped over to her snapping her neck. Darkness.

* * *

 **Sorry for the wait, and the cliffy, got a lot of work at the moment!**


	21. Decisions

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD/TO/KC/anything**

 **AN/ what's your guys opinions on legacies?**

Klaus was staring at his phone in confusion. When Caroline had warned them that the Salvatore crew was going to be trying to kill them (again) he had not expected then to receive a phone call from his old mate Stefan. Yet here he was, staring at his phone as it rang, undecided as to whether or not he should take the call.

"Holy crap Nik just pick up the damn phone already?" Rebekah called, irritated by the ringing, Nik rolled his eyes, but doing as she said answered the call.

"Stefan?" He asked, ignoring Rebekah's glance of confusion,

"Finally. Took you long enough. We have a problem." Stefan replied, urgency and impatience evident in his tone,

"Elaborate." Nik drawled out,

"It's Elena, her and Caroline have been taken by Alaric Saltzman, who your mother turned into a vampire who's even more powerful than you. She's been captured in the high school, and if you want your precious hybrid maker to survive, then you're going to help us get her out." He demanded,

"What do you want me to do?" He asked, Stefan had indeed captured his attention, but not for the reasons the younger Salvatore brother presumed, he cared more for his fiancee than the hybrid blood bank.

* * *

Klaus hadn't survived a thousand years running from Mikael and avoiding hundreds of plots to kill him, because he was dumb. No he was far more intelligent than that. He knew that this was likely a trap, especially because of the information Caroline had given them. So he definitely wasn't walking to the porch of the Gilbert house unprepared. Rebekah was watching from afar, even with a trap there was no way they could overpower two originals. Rebekah also had the added interest of wanting to know if Caroline was okay.

"Stefan, Damon." Klaus called, purposely lacing arrogance into his voice. "What an honour." He gritted. "What's your plan?"

"I will use a dessication spell, like my mum did to Mikael." Bonnie interrupted from the safety of the house, "All you need to do is get him here."

"All we need to do is get a vampire who's supposedly created by my mother to kill me and my siblings here. Easy." Klaus snarked, refraining himself from rolling his eyes at the Bennett witch.

"Just get it done." Bonnie snarled back, her anger at the original a permanent feature. "Otherwise there'll be no more hybrids, and you'll be all alone. Forever."

Ironic that Bonnie thought that Elena was the one he wanted - or needed - to save, the one who without whom he'd be alone forever, when in reality it was the blonde who'd been captured, and that it was the blonde and not the brunette that without whom he'd be alone.

He'd just found her, after a thousand years, he'd just found her. No way in hell was he about to lose her again, no matter the cost.

* * *

"Are you going to take her away?" Stefan asked quietly, causing Klaus to send a curious glance towards him,

"What?"

"I know at one point you were considering taking her away to Atlanta or something." It was odd, hearing the ripper sound so timid,

"You really do love her don't you?" He asked, obviously already knowing the answer to be true.

"You ever had someone? Someone who you'd do anything for? Someone you'd die for?" Stefan asked Klaus, unaware that that was what he was doing right now, Klaus smiled slightly looking down. "What happened?" Stefan asked curiously interpreting Klaus' reaction as confirmation.

"It was a long time ago, I was still mortal at that point. She was my fiancee and she died." He replied shortly, this story of course would have been the truth two weeks ago. Now it was a lie, because now his fiancee was in the building they were running towards.

"Sorry." Stefan murmured, confusing Klaus with the sympathy and compassion in his voice, almost making him forget that this was the vampire who was plotting to kill him.

"They're in Ric's classroom." Bonnie called, approaching the duo with Damon who was staring skeptically at Klaus. "Second floor," she added, directing it at Klaus who was the only one who didn't know based on that brief description.

"We all understand the plan, yes?" Damon began, "We get Elena, and we get out of there."

"Don't forget Caroline." Stefan intervened, glaring at his brother who simply smirked in response,

"As if I could forget my favourite barbie, sorry Rebekah." Damon raised a mischievous eyebrow towards Klaus who forced a laugh in response, despite internally thinking about the different ways he could gut Damon.

"Let's just go." Stefan cut in impatiently, speeding into the building, Klaus quickly followed,

"What? We not going to do hands in?" Damon grumbled, before following the two.

Inside the building, as per the plan they split up, Stefan taking a direct approach to free Elena and Caroline whilst Damon and Klaus distracted Alaric. However as Klaus approached the corridor he spotted a certain blonde.

"Shh, shh it's okay, you're safe, I'm here." He reassured in a hush voice gently removing his hand from her mouth,

"Nik." She sighed in relief, leaning into his chest for comfort, "Thank god you're here."

"Always." He murmured, "Come on let's get out of here before your evil history teacher/vampire hunter/vampire, comes and kills us." Nik said, feeling rewarded when Caroline let out a weak laugh, gently holding onto there he sped her out of there.

"Bonnie!" Caroline exclaimed as they got outside, exhaling another relieved weak laugh as she hugged her best friend, Klaus awkwardly looking on unsure of what to do.

"Thank god you're safe." Bonnie whispered, sending a curious but grateful glance towards the hybrid. As she pulled out of the hug she looked at him, addressing him directly, "You should go back inside to help." She demanded, but Nik just sent a quick glance to Caroline and shook his head.

"Should you not be stopping Jeremy's heart?" He asked, "There's no point in me being in there if you mess up your magic spell to save the day." He snarked, ignoring the look Caroline sent him.

"You want to make more hybrids then you'll save Elena." She warned him,

"That's not why I went on this rescue mission," He whispered, quiet enough that Bonnie couldn't hear him, but loud enough that Caroline's supernatural hearing could.

"What?" Bonnie asked curiously, wondering what the hybrid had just said, but Klaus simply shook his head,

"Doesn't matter. I'm not going in there and risking my life for Elena Gilbert."

"The almighty powerful original, scared of dying?"

"I have everything I want, why would I risk what I have."

"So you no longer want to make hybrid armies so you don't feel alone?" Bonnie retorted, growing impatient and worried at Klaus change of heart.

"I'm not alone." He replied simply, ignoring the strong urge to look at Caroline, or take her hand in his. Caroline however didn't resist the urge, instead staring at him openly, eyes wide and searching, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"You have to go back. You are connected to me by blood." Bonnie ordered him,

"You kill me then everyone here dies."

"There are ways to make you do something without killing you." Bonnie replied growing in anger,

"Bonnie!" Caroline exclaimed, sending her an incredulous look which the witch only returned,

"Look Caroline, I get that you've been time travelling or whatever so you may have missed the part when Klaus Mikaelson is an evil, serial killer who killed Elena's aunt and made Stefan a ripper, but-"

"Who's fault was that?" Caroline replied, her eyes flashing dangerously,

"Care, I'm sorry-"

"I'm not." Caroline interrupted quickly, "You know what, I don't regret letting you test that stupid spell on me, I don't. Because if you hadn't I'd have never gotten to live that life, and if I could, I would go back in a heartbeat." She paused, glancing at Nik, "I would, I- I wish I could go back. But I died. The day before I was meant to get married! I died. For the second time." A tear slipped down her face, and she glanced at Nik who'd edged closer to her, his finger subtly brushing against hers. "So sure, yes I might not have been there, but I still understand right and wrong. Torturing him is not right Bonnie. Torturing him just makes you in the wrong." Caroline turned her head slightly, as if she was about to walk away,

"Care, Elena's still in there, and Alaric is still in there, and when night comes Alaric can come out and hunt you down all over again. You won't be safe, - we won't be safe unless we take him down now."

"You think the girl who's just been tortured can help you take down a vampire who was made to be more powerful than an original?" Nik shook his head, "No way is she going back in there, that would be a death sentence."

"Since when do you care?" Bonnie retorted, "That wasn't what I was suggesting anyway."

"Really." Nik said, slowly advancing on the witch, "Then what were you suggesting."

"You. Go. Help." Bonnie answered shortly. Klaus stopped in his advancements, turning to face Caroline, silently asking her the question, she shook her head,

"I don't want to lose you." She whispered, making sure Bonnie couldn't hear her, "I'd break. I can't, I can't lose you." She paused, "I don't want them to die, but if they died I could survive, if you died. I would die."

"If I don't go in, they will die, and then where will Alaric come." Nik paused, still undecided.

"He will go into your home and kill you. Then every single one of your sire line will die. Then he will go and kill your brothers and your sister. Every single vampire will be wiped from existence." Bonnie intervened, aware that the opportunity was running short.

All it took was one look into Caroline's eyes. Moist from tears, yet still Nik could see a future within them, a future that could be ripped away from him which ever decision he made, yet somehow he knew, this was their best opportunity. With that final thought, his back towards Bonnie he mouthed three words, before speeding into the high school once again.


	22. Split

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD/TO/KC/anything**

 **Soooo... where did we leave it... Right... Klaus maybe vamp speeding in to the high school where he might die. Yes. Right. So... I guess let's continue there? Or...**

"Nik hurry up!" Rebekah yelled impatiently, but happily, "Or maybe we're going to leave without you." She warned as Caroline laughed,

"Okay, okay I'm here." He replied panting as he jogged over,

"What took you so long?" Rebekah asked, causing Nik to reveal a basket from behind his back, not that it was well concealed, but Rebekah had been paying more attention to the boy behind her brother. Nik glanced over his shoulder and smirked with a raised eyebrow at his sister.

"Leave her alone." Caroline intervened with a smile, "He's cute." She said simply, the mischievous smile on her face letting Nik know that she was joking,

"Cuter than me?"

"God stop flirting." Rebekah cut them off, causing the two to blush, "Insufferable." She drawled rolling her eyes at the two and invoking a playful push from Caroline. After she regained her balance, huffing slightly she continued, "Let's get going already."

The three set off at a comfortable pace, but aware that they couldn't dawdle too much and that their time would be better enjoyed by the water's edge.

"So how are you and Jakob?" Caroline asked, continuing the previous teasing and blushing slightly as Nik enveloped her hand in his, intertwining their fingers.

"Fine." Rebekah murmured with a blush causing the pair to laugh kindly. "Perhaps, however we should change the subject to you two. I heard Tatia tried to win Nikky back the other day and got completely rebuffed."

"I don't like Ta-Tati-Tatia." Came a small voice from besides Rebekah, "An' what does rebuff'd mean?" The youngest Mikaelson asked, Nik smiled at Caroline before withdrawing his hand from hers and running at his brother who squealed as he was lifted off his feet and twirled around in the air before being enveloped in a hug from his brother.

"Rebuffed means, turned away." Rebekah answered, a smile on her face from her brother's antics,

"Good, I don't like Ta-ti-a," The small boy replied, pronouncing each syllable separately in an attempt to say the word properly. Rebekah ruffled his air as she walked past him and Nik, having picked up the basket Nik had dropped to hold his brother. Caroline quickly caught up with Rebekah walking in a bit in front of the boys but enough so that they were in hearing distance. "Do you like Care?""

"Huh?" Nik looked at his brother bemused, "Yes of course." He replied in a hushed voice.

"Cause you kissed her?" His brother replied.

"No, I mean yes, I mean no." Nik exhaled deeply, "I kissed her because I liked her." He explained, slightly flustered at this line of questioning.

"An' she's not our sister?" Henrik asked again, causing Nik to roll his eyes and from in front Rebekah stopped in her tracks and groaned,

"Not this again." She moaned as Caroline laughed, quickly followed by Nik who settled Henrik down as they arrived by the falls.

* * *

"Caroline?" Bonnie asked her shaking her shoulders as Caroline stood shaking silently after Nik had gone, "Caroline what is it?" She asked, now really confused and worried, she had to get to Jeremy.

"Nik." Caroline whispered inaudibly, her voice quavering weakly, she shook her head violently. "No. No. Bonnie it's fine go." Her friend faltered, "Bonnie." Caroline looked at her dangerously. "Go."

* * *

"Nik!" Rebekah squealed as her brother pushed her into the falls. As she resurfaced, flailing her arms around ungratefully before realising she was fine she glared at her brother, gesturing to Caroline who was to busy laughing. Henrik stared on at the scene with amusement, deciding with his childhood naivety to jump into the water without being able to swim.

"Henrik!" Nik yelled urgently as the young boy landed in the water, only for the boy to resurface on Rebekah's shoulders who was grinning at Nik.

"I uh, I think you need to chill Nik." Caroline said, a mischievous grin on her face, Nik in question turned to her confused, only for Caroline to push the man into the falls, completely taking him by surprised. Rebekah laughed and cheered at Caroline's actions, before Caroline too jumped into the falls, splashing Nik in the process.

* * *

It was a spur of the moment decision, but it was necessary. This was perhaps the only opportunity to save Caroline, so he had to try. Nik made his way to the corridor at great speed, barreling into Alaric who had been choking Stefan against the lockers.

"Glad to see you joined the party." Damon said with a grimace as he brought himself to to his feet.

"Klaus Mikaelson. What an honour." Alaric sneered at the hybrid who's eyes turned yellow and the veins around his eyes throbbed.

"What took you so long?" Stefan asked, holding his throat and gasping, as though surprised he was still breathing.

"Saving a certain blonde." He replied with a smirk, before turning angrily on Alaric, "You're going to pay for this." He snarled, speeding towards Alaric who merely shrugged out the way pushing Klaus onto the floor, Klaus however quickly returned to his feet, analysing Alaric's movements as he approached him.

"How does it feel?" Alaric asked, "To not be the most powerful man in the room. Not that you ever were a man, you're a monster." He spat, grasping Nik by the throat in the same way he'd been holding Stefan, he pressed his hands into his chest, squeezing Klaus' heart in his hands. "You're afraid." He hissed.

* * *

Somehow in the water and the mirth Caroline had ended up being tightly held in Nik's arms, her arms around his neck as she stared deep into his eyes. The sounds of Rebekah and Henrik joyfully playing together in the distance being tuned out in respect for this moment.

"We should get out soon." Nik murmured, biting his lower lip, "We need to dry before we return."

"Two more minutes." Caroline pleaded softly causing Nik to smile, his eyes flickering between her eyes and her lips.

"For you love. Anything."

"Anything?" Caroline replied softly, slowly bridging the gap between them, unraveling one arm and placing it on his chest. "You're hearts beating pretty fast." She muttered softly, her eyes still lost in his.

"I'm with the most beautiful girl. What would you expect?" He grinned, placing one of his hands over hers as she tightened her grip on his shirt, pulling him even closer so that there was now barely any room between him and her.

* * *

Alaric laughed, not the kind laugh you may associate the with the history teacher, but a grating, mechanical laugh, the laugh of a man who held another man's heart in his hand. "You're hearts beating so fast." He snarled, twisting it in his hand, "If I just slip," He paused, "Then it will stop beating."

"It won't kill me." Klaus gritted his teeth as he forced out the words through the pain. Behind the history teacher he could practically see the Salvatore brothers minds whirring, whether to save Klaus, take Alaric by surprise, or to let Alaric take out Klaus, albeit a temporary solution.

"This will." Alaric said pulling out a dagger, "Made especially by your mother." He said with a grin as Klaus made the realisation.

* * *

"The most beautiful girl huh." Caroline said softly, a small smile on her face, their bodies so close she could feel his breath on her.

"Mmhm." He murmured, somehow bringing them even closer together. His eyes flickered to her lips again as Caroline gently wetted them before flicking back up to Caroline's eyes.

* * *

This was when Stefan and Damon found it easiest to make their decision. It was not worth the risk if Klaus was their sire, they had to try to save the monster they'd been trying to kill. Sharing a glance they both speeded towards the history teacher,

* * *

"We should, uh, probably get going." Caroline said causing Nik to smile,

"Yeah, or.."

"Or..?" Caroline replied, both dancing around it. Nik was the one who finally breached the gap, unable to keep up with the act, connecting their lips together as one. They were one. Two halves of a whole. In this moment they were the only people in the world. Nothing else mattered in this moment.

* * *

The tides had turned, Alaric having been taken by surprise now had his back to the wall and both Salvatore brothers pinning back his arms, Klaus, though slightly lacking for oxygen had his hand in the history teacher's chest.

"Come on Bonnie." Damon begged exasperated, before smirking as the grey lines of dessication adorned Alaric's face. "Sorry buddy." He said, remorse obvious now in his tone as his eyes revealed all his emotions despite his best efforts to contain his sadness. Stefan too looked away from the man who was his friend. Or perhaps more accurately the body of the man who was his friend. Klaus sighed in relief.

Another day.

 **An/ Hope this isn't too confusing - basically every line break is a flicking between the two time zones if that wasn't obvious... Thoughts?**

 **Also tell me whether I should do this flashback thing again - Idk about you guys but I love Henrik so any chance to involve him I will do!**


	23. Monsters and Men

**Disclaimer: I do not own KC/TVD/TO/ anything really..**

 **Sorry for the break; been pretty busy and was at a bit of a loss as to what to write - as always any suggestions are greatly appreciated.**

"You could have died!" Caroline shouted angrily,

"But I didn't." Klaus replied, a confused expression forming on his face, "Caroline, I'm right here love."

"But you're not." She returned, "Not you. Not the man I-" She stopped herself abruptly, heaving in a deep sigh.

"Loved?" Klaus offered almost silently. "Not the man you loved."

"You've changed so much, I don't even recognise you anymore, - and all the stories, you're always the villain. The monster." Caroline bit her lip, "You're Klaus the original hybrid, not Nik the boy who built a house for me."

"It's been a thousand years."

"I know," She paused before repeating her own words reflectively, "I know."

"Your death. Henrik's death. My own death. It changed me - and not for the better - but you, Caroline, you make me better - I can be better just, please don't. Don't give up on me." He pleaded, his voice breaking and a tear slid down Caroline's face.

"I'm sorry." She said, her voice breaking over the words and she bit her quivering lip. Her hand moved slowly, reaching out to hold his face as it fell down. "I love you, I just can't be with you." She whispered, tears streaming down her face, leaning into Nik's embrace as he wrapped his arms tight around her.

"I-" He paused, frowning slightly, before twisting Caroline around and harshly strangling her with his arm, he laughed slightly, a maniac, mechanical laugh. "Hello Damon." He smirked.

"Klaus." Damon retorted, his eyes widening at the sight of Caroline choking, "Let her go." He said with a hint of desperation, before trying to regain some resemblance of calmness, "Wouldn't want barbie here to lose her chance at being the next Miss America would we now?" He snarked.

"Klaus let her go." Stefan demanded.

"Why? Why would I spare her life, when I know you two have come here to kill me." He smirked at their surprised expression,

"Trade." Stefan blurted out and Klaus cocked his head. "Me for her."

"Always the little hero. A real Elijah 2.0," He turned his head, "Guess that makes you the 'me' hm. Pathetic." He snarled as Damon scoffed,

"I'm nothing like you."

"Really. Both broken over one girl, both vampires with a dark side, both monsters." Klaus leered, "We're more alike then you might think Damon, you just only see it through your own perspective."

"The evil Klaus Mikaelson, crying over a girl. What did she reject you? Realise that you were a monster? Realise that you are worth nothing." Caroline stiffened in his embrace at Damon's words, and Klaus' jaw clenched, causing Damon to grin triumphantly.

"Not quite." Klaus retorted softly. "I had more success than you in that department from what I have heard about your, relationship - if you can call it that - with Katerina Petrova. Pretended she was dead for a century just to get away from you."

"Well your girl would have probably actually died just to get away from you." Damon retorted angrily, growing red. Klaus however just chuckled amused.

"Indeed. Why don't you ask her yourself?" He said, loosening his grip on Caroline slightly.

"What?" Stefan interrupted, "I though you said she was dead?"

"She is." He replied before pausing for dramatic effect, causing Caroline to subtly roll her eyes at his antics. "But aren't we all?" Stefan's eyes widened,

"She's a vampire."

"Ah correct, on his first try as well." Klaus taunted with a smug smile, enjoying his control over the situation.

"You turned her after you were turned?" Stefan asked curiously.

"No. Actually I believe it was Katerina who turned her, or," Klaus looked at Caroline as she shook her head gently but sternly, "It might have been you Damon." Klaus revealed.

"That- No, that doesn't make sense, if she was alive when you were mortal, like a thousand years ago, then Damon couldn't have turned her. That's impossible." Stefan said incredulously,

"I know. But, many things are possible now that were once seen as impossible. A little viking boy definitely did not believe he would grow up to be the most powerful creature alive, a blood-sucking vampire, and a shape-shifter, a wolf. He also would have never speculated that his fiancee was a time traveller." He added, causing Caroline to stiffen again,

"Don't." She whispered, a quiet warning almost inaudible to anyone but Klaus.

"Don't worry love, I'm not going to hurt you." He paused, making a decision. "I accept."

"What?" Damon retorted, "You accept what?"

"Stefan's offer. A trade. Caroline for Stefan. After all, it is time that I catch up with my old," He paused again throwing a smirk in Stefan's direction, "friend." He uttered the word with an odd tone, before pushing Caroline away from him roughly, keeping with the act. "Come on Stef." He grinned, "Damon you are dismissed. Leave." He ordered, ignoring Damon's sputtering and arguing,

"It's alright Damon. It'll be fine, just get Caroline to safety." He reassured his brother, and Damon whisked himself away, as Caroline lingered, staring reflectively at Nik, who simply turned his head and walked out the other door. She swallowed deeply before, mouthing a thank you to Stefan, before following Damon's example and speeding to safety.

Safety. How ironic.


	24. However Long It Takes

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD/TO/KC or anything else**

 **Mixed (as in 90% anti-Caroline leaving Klaus) reviews about the last chapter but don't worry it will make sense sooner or later, - sooner... definitely sooner... I have zero patience or ability to sustain any form of angst.**

"Niklaus." Elijah's voice boomed, echoing around the empty mansion.

"Yes brother?" Nik replied, his tone full of snark as he tipped a beer bottle up, draining the remnants into his mouth before smashing the bottle on the floor, he blinked incredulously, as though surprised that the bottle was now empty, before turning to face his brother.

"I-" Elijah paused, taking in the sight before him and frowning slightly, "I received a call that you had kidnapped a certain Stefan Salvatore."

"Guilty." Nik said raising his hand with a smirk.

"Why?"

"They were trying to kill me, so I held Car- her at fake-hostage and Stefan, ever the hero offered a trade, and I accepted," He paused before smirking once more, "I just wanted some alone time with my friend."

"And where is Stefan now?"

"Oh don't worry about it," Nik said waving his hand nonchalantly, "He's around here somewhere. We, however, have greater issues at hand." He added, walking over and grabbing another beer from the table.

"Alaric is dead, and the Salvatore brothers failed in their attempts to kill you. I see no further issue here Niklaus."

"Caroline left me." He replied softly, before tilting back his head, almost inhaling the alcohol.

Elijah nodded slowly, understanding dawned in his eyes, "Permanently?"

"I'm a monster." Nik replied with a snort, trying to disguise his misery.

Elijah frowned, "Caroline would never say that, she loves you."

"But she did. And it's true - of course she despises me now - look at me. A cross-breed, hybrid, half wolf half vampire, a murderer."

"Wronged and a victim. Caroline witnessed firsthand how you suffered at Mikael's hand, she berated me for it on many occasions, I refuse to believe that she would turn around and just change her mind on a whim like that."

"Well start believing, because she did." Nik said, gently toying with the necklace around his neck, partially hidden under his shirt. Abruptly he ripped it off from his neck, grabbing a ring, the engagement ring, and holding it between his thumb and index finger. "It's over. I guess there's no use for this anymore." He said, dropping it from his fingers. Elijah however managed to grab it before it hit the floor.

"Niklaus, you have carried this ring around for nigh a millennia, you have held it through wars and through pain and loss. Niklaus," Elijah started, wrapping his arm around to grab Nik on the shoulder reassuringly but firmly. "You love Caroline yes?" Elijah continued without waiting for the obvious answer. "For her it has been weeks since she said yes, love doesn't fade in such a short amount of time. Just, show her, show her you," Elijah prodded Klaus in the chest harshly, "Are still you."

"What if I'm not?"

"Well, show her the new version, not the insecure, paranoid boy, but the strong, loving man."

"Loving." Nik scoffed in response,

"You've held this ring for a thousand years. You're telling me you aren't loving? You raised Marcellus," Nik gritted his teeth painfully, looking down at the floor. "You loved him and he loved you."

"And where did that leave him?" Nik yelled, "I am not risking Caroline's life by being selfish."

"Love is not selfish, Niklaus."

"We are but history now."

"Many historians would say the same about us." Elijah replied with a small smile and a raised eyebrow. "Yet, here we are. Have hope, Niklaus. I implore you, just be patient. This is not the end of your story. I will find out what happened because I refuse to believe she would say such things about you. I refuse." Elijah shoved the ring back into Klaus' hand, "Patience, brother."

* * *

"Hey Care, it's okay it's not your fault." Elena reassured her, "Stefan will be okay. Klaus won't hurt him, we won't let him."

"Klaus is a monster." Caroline added and Elena smiled sadly,

"At least you've learnt that now."

"Bonnie hurry up with the tracking spell." Damon demanded, appearing in the doorway, "Or Stefan's blood is on your hands as well," He leered menacingly, glaring at Caroline. "Dumb blonde." He muttered under his breath.

"What's with the insistence on a tracking spell?" Elena asked, "We know where he is. Now we just need to go get him."

"We're reaffirming that Klaus hasn't moved him to some secret lair." Damon replied and Elena nodded slowly in acceptance.

"I called Elijah." Elena admitted, causing both Caroline and Damon to whip their heads round in surprise, Bonnie too focussed on the spell to be able to react.

"You what?" Damon half-shouted, clearly attempting to maintain some semblance of calmness and control - and failing.

"I needed to make sure, Stefan was okay, and Elijah is a good man-"

"Elijah is a monster. They all are." Caroline interrupted angrily, "Finn, Kol, Rebekah. They deserve to die."

Damon snorted slightly at her response, smirking and nodding, Elena however immediately disagreed, "Elijah is good, he is honourable and noble and-"

"And a killer." Caroline interrupted again, causing Damon to raise an eyebrow in respect and amusement.

"Aren't most vampires." Elena replied pointedly.

"Exactly."

"What?" Elena replied confused.

"Vampires are killers and should be exterminated." Caroline said dryly.

"Yeah, yeah, very funny blondie." Damon replied laughing slightly, "Bonnie. Spell. Hurry up already." He demanded, unaware of the perplexed expression spreading across Caroline's face.

"Quiet Damon, and it will go a lot quicker." Bonnie ordered, not even bothering to turn and face him, returning to a chant of sorts.

"I wasn't joking." Caroline replied quietly.

"Caroline, you're a vampire - Stefan's a vampire - you are both still two of the best people I know."

"You accidentally forgot an addition to that list." Damon urged arrogantly,

"Shut up Damon!" Chorused the girls.

"You don't seriously believe all that do you Care?" Elena asked softly but with an urgent tone.

"Of course I do. Vampires are evil."

"You're a vampire. You're not evil."

"I am a killer. I, like Damon, and Stefan, and Klaus and the rest of them, am a monster."

"Chill blondie, focus." Damon said obnoxiously, only half-listening to the conversation, and ignoring Caroline's serious tone. Elena squinted her eyes at the blonde, opening her mouth to form a response when Bonnie spoke.

"I've found him. You were right," She gestured begrudgingly towards Damon, "He's not at the Mikaelson house. He's," Bonnie paused, "He's in the cemetery."

 **AN/ Any guesses on what's up with Caroline?**


	25. Brother

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD/TO/Legacies or anything**

 **Sorry for the year long wait - my laptop broke and I had a really big year in terms of school & exams but... I'm back and I'm going to try (and fail) to finish this story quickly, probably about 4-6 chapters left**

"Where the hell are we going?" An exasperated voice sounded. Stefan was no longer scared of whatever Klaus had planned for him. No, Stefan was bored, and tired, and confused as to why they'd spent the last hour walking through the town, then the cemetery, then the woods (apparently Klaus, being the millennia old hybrid he was, didn't understand what a car was).

"Mystic Falls." Klaus replied, almost allowing a smirk to creep onto his face at Stefan's frustration, but the memory of Caroline calling him a monster kept that smirk at bay. Stefan huffed but continued walking - probably best not to test the hybrid's patience regardless of how irritated he was. "We're almost there." Klaus added after a pause, carefully stepping over a fallen branch.

Soon they reached a small clearing where two stone gravestones stood in the centre.

"Someone clearly didn't realise the cemetery was back that way." Stefan quipped, trying to defuse the awkward tension which had already arisen since they'd arrived at, what seemed to be, their final destination. Klaus ignored him and instead tentatively made his way to the gravestone on the left.

"This is your-" Stefan paused unsure of how to categorise the relationship that Klaus had had, but Klaus nodded nonetheless. "You said she was a vampire? If she's not dead why does she have a grave?" Stefan asked Klaus curiously.

"I thought her to be dead until recently."

"Time-traveller." Stefan remembered, "That's what you said right? That she was a time-traveller?" Klaus nodded once more, clearly not in the mood to use many words, but Stefan continued on with his questions. "Why are you at her grave instead of with her then?"

Klaus visibly stiffened at Stefan's question.

"Oh." Stefan all but whispered, his eyes widening in realisation, and, for a second, Klaus almost thought he'd seen flicker of sympathy wash over his face.

"A lot has changed over the last millennia. We have both changed a lot. Too much in my case." Klaus replied somewhat cryptically, but Stefan understood what he was saying.

"Who does the other grave belong to?" Stefan asked, anxious to change the topic.

"My brother. Henrik." Klaus responded with a wistful smile.

"You had another brother?"

"You don't know the story? I thought you and your little group of friends understood the origins of the Originals."

"Your mother turned you into vampires to protect your from the werewolves in your village."

"Yes. Though that is the short version of a much longer story." Klaus paused, clearly hesitant in telling the story. Suddenly his head snapped up and a smirk appeared on his face, his entire personality seemed to shift in that moment causing Stefan to take a step back in surprise. For a moment it had seemed like the old Klaus, the one from Chicago who he'd called his brother, but now, within seconds that person had morphed into the big bad hybrid who'd tried to kill Elena, and had killed Jenna, and countless others. "Your friends are here." Klaus grinned wolfishly.

* * *

As the group made it's way into the clearing Klaus couldn't help but focus on Caroline. It was hard not to; his fiancée who'd tragically died, but hadn't actually been dead, and had actually been a time traveller, the best friend to the doppelganger who could cure his wolf from being trapped. Of course he hadn't been aware of Elena's importance to Caroline until it was too late, and he'd killed Elena's aunt and burnt any bridges between himself and Caroline's friends. Even more ironic is that Stefan, of all people, his old drinking buddy, best friend, brother, had been part of the group.

That in itself had seemed like enough of a coincidence, that his old friend was the boyfriend of the girl who could prove to be his cure - well, ex-boyfriend. But then Caroline had come back to him, like an angel - not that Klaus believed in such, it was hard to be religious, and believe in an omnibenevolent god after all he'd seen and been through. And then his 'angel' had turned around and rejected him for the monster he was. Klaus understood, of course he did, he wasn't exactly a good person.

See, when Caroline had died he was overcome by depression and remorse, guilt even at his inability to save her. And then Henrik. Whilst Klaus was rational he could see that Caroline's death was not his fault, Henrik on the other hand, Henrik was the point of no return for Klaus. His baby brother, so young and innocent, distraught too at the loss of his 'sister', had taken to spending all his time with Nik, trying to comfort him with the unconditional love that any younger brother feels for their older brother. Klaus was his guardian from Mikael, the man he looked up to above Elijah or Finn or Kol. But Klaus had let him down - and that was unforgivable.

Perhaps that was why he found himself at his grave right now. Yes, he was there for Caroline as well, for the memory of the people they had once been, for the lives they once had and the lives they could have. The family they could have been, the happiness they had so nearly achieved.

Klaus often tried to imagine what his life would have been like without Caroline. See, she was the catalyst for everything, her death had caused Klaus' depression, which led to his recklessness in going to the wolves on a full moon, so blind with grief that he was unaware his little brother was following him, and if Henrik hadn't died... If Henrik hadn't died then Mikael wouldn't have forced Esther to make them all into vampires, Klaus never would have killed anyone and then he wouldn't have known about Esther's transgressions, about her affair with the werewolf, about how he himself was a werewolf. Perhaps Klaus would have found another girl, gotten married, had children who'd he have cared for and love unconditionally, careful to not repeat the same cycle of abuse that Mikael had put him through.

Everything would have been different. Better perhaps. Perhaps.

"Did you hear me? I said let him go." Damon snarled, his blood rushing to his eyes as his fangs became prominent, evil in his eyes.

"Since when did you care about Stefan?" Klaus retorted, snapping out of his thoughts an placing a taunting smirk on his face.

"What?" Damon replied, almost in disbelief that Klaus would even question his relationship to his brother. They were the Salvatore brothers after all, they stuck with each ever, through anything and everything. At the same time Stefan's head whipped round, casting a curious glance upon the hybrid. "He's my brother. I've always cared."

"Always you say." Klaus paused, "See, Stefan and I, we used to be quite close," Klaus began, causing everyone in the clearing to shoot confused glances between him and Stefan. "Oh!" Klaus exclaimed suddenly, turning to face Stefan, "You didn't tell them about us?"

"Don't." Stefan started warningly, though fear was evident in his tone.

Klaus raised his hands in the air mockingly, pretending as though he was surrendering to Stefan. "Do you want to tell them then? No. I thought not."

"What are you talking about?" Damon asked warningly, almost acting as though he was threatening Klaus - the arrogance, a baby vampire that he was acting as though he'd be able to defeat the most powerful being on the entire Earth.

"You act as though you two are inseparable. The Salvatore brothers. But that's a lie. You've spent more of the last century apart then together, you nearly made Stefan go back to being a ripper against his will more times than I count, you abandoned him in the war efforts, you left him all alone."

"Like you can talk." Elena sniped back, realising Damon was too shocked to reply, "You put daggers in your siblings, your own mother wants to kill you she's so disgusted by you, how does it feel to know nobody cares about you, no one loves you." She glared at him, and he had to stop himself from flinching at her words, his eyes flickering to Caroline against his will, and for a second it almost seemed like she too seemed upset at the words, before her eyes turned to stone in front of him, all emotion bar hatred washed out from them.

"Ah, so now he needs his brother's girl to stand up for him. Or is she your girl now, Damon?" Klaus snarked back, feeling slightly remorseful at the hurt look which fell over Stefan's face at his words. "It's almost your thing, isn't it Damon? Stefan finds happiness and you go out of your way to ruin it. You killed his best friend, stole his girl, tried to take his control. Great brother you are."

"Hypocrite." Damon snapped back,

"Am I though? You really don't know anything about me, or my family, so how can you say hypocrite with such conviction, such belief that you are right. Such arrogance you have that you are blinded, unwilling to accept that perhaps you are the villain in Stefan's story and not I."

"You say I know nothing about your family, fine, let's pretend that's true, what do you know of mine anyway? Nothing." He snarled but Klaus only laughed.

"Oh Damon." He paused, "You truly are completely unaware. See when you abandoned Stefan, he met me. Became my friend, my partner, called me brother. Told me all about you. Stefan was a ripper when I met him, I was the one who got him to turn his emotions back on after you threw him of the rails and then abandoned him. You abandoned him. I didn't."

"Lies." Damon scoffed, though you could tell by the waver in his voice he wasn't entirely sure, "Tell him to stop lying Stefan."

"He's not." Stefan replied shortly, clearly uncomfortable at the situation. Damon's head snapped up in disbelief.

"Just, let him go." Elena jumped in, sensing the rising tension between the three.

"Stefan's always been able to go. I," Klaus paused, staring pointedly at Damon, "Wouldn't hurt him."

"If he's always been able to go, why drag him here?" Elena asked before pausing thoughtfully, "Where is here anyway?"

"It's the graves of my brother and fiancée." Klaus said softly, subtly glancing in Caroline's direction to see her reaction, but no such reaction came.

"Who cares about this pity party?" Caroline retorted, "If Stefan can go, let's go."

"You had a fiancée?" Elena asked, ignoring Caroline.

"A long time ago." He replied cryptically. "She's dead now." He said staring at Caroline, ignoring the glance Stefan sent in his direction. She was alive, but he could see that the version standing in front of him was not his Caroline. His Caroline was dead.

Elena nodded slightly, for a second she almost looked sympathetic before Caroline cut in again, "Probably killed herself to try and get away from you." She snarked causing Klaus to flinch. This really wasn't his Caroline was it. "I'd do the same if I was engaged to you." She added maliciously. "I mean, dating a vampire is bad enough, let alone a hybrid like you." She continued causing everyone in the clearing to shoot concerned looks in her direction.

"Right blondie, lay off the day drinking." Damon sniped. "We've got Stefan. Let's go."

"Hold on one second." Klaus intervened, "I might have said I would let Stefan go, I said no such thing about the rest of you."

"Well what do you want then?" Elena asked,

"The white oak stakes in your pockets." He replied quickly, causing Damon and Elena to exchange looks of surprise, both were completely unaware that Klaus knew they had white oak stakes.

"How'd you know?" Elena all but gasped, feeling more scared than before as she realised Klaus knew of their plans to kill him.

"Let's just say a little birdie told me." Klaus responded, forcing himself to not look in Caroline's direction. "Now hand them over. Or I might have to change my mind about hurting Stefan here." Klaus said, before vamp-speeding towards the younger Salvatore and locking his neck in his arms.

"I call your bluff." Damon responded confidently,

"Right, because I've never before shown any concern over killing people who get in my way, let alone killing people who wanted to kill me."

"Damon," Elena warned, "He killed Jenna without a second thought, and she was innocent. You really think he wouldn't kill Stefan?"

"Fine." Damon spat out reluctantly before reaching into his pocket and throwing a white oak stake towards Klaus' feet, an action quickly replicated by Elena. They looked expectantly at Caroline who remained still.

"No." She said firmly in response to their questioning looks.

"Caroline he will kill Stefan."

"And? Stefan's a vampire Elena, he's killed hundreds of people, thousands perhaps. He deserves to die, all vampires deserve to die."

"So you're saying that you deserve to die blondie, I always thought you were dumb, I didn't realise you perpetuated the dumb blonde stereotype to these lengths. Now hand it over." Damon all but demanded.

Caroline pulled the stake out of her pocket, "Why don't we just kill him instead?"

"We'd all die!" Elena exclaimed, close to physically shaking Caroline out of her stupidity.

"Whatever." She retorted throwing the stake towards Klaus. "I don't give a shit about him anyway."

"Ouch love, that hurts." Klaus responded sarcastically, trying to put up a façade so that the others couldn't see how much Caroline's words were affecting him, but he understood now. He understood what was wrong with Caroline. "You can go." He said nonchalantly towards the group, roughly releasing Stefan from his grasp - pretences were pretences over all, if they needed to believe he would kill Stefan, then he would play that role.

* * *

"Three down." Klaus said throwing the stakes into the fire.

"Nine to go." Elijah replied, still slightly confused as to why Klaus didn't care that there were still nine weapons held by their enemies that could kill them.

Klaus paused by the fire, before sighing deeply and going to sit in the chair, "I think I know what's wrong with Caroline." He said softly, causing Elijah to look in his direction curiously.

"What?" He asked when it didn't seen like Klaus was going to elaborate.

Klaus paused, going to the table to pour himself a glass of fresh blood, "I think our eldest brother has compelled her." He paused to take a sip, "Which means," He paused again and let out another sigh. "Elijah, I think I have to kill Finn."

Elijah stopped in his pacing, turning to face Klaus and grasp how serious he was, before sitting down on the sofa. "We." He replied causing Klaus to look up from his glass and glance round in his direction. "Together Niklaus. Always and forever."


	26. Finn

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the TVD universe.**

 **Sorry it has been a while! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed last chapter!**

* * *

 _"Finn!" Elijah called, amidst bouts of laughter, as his older brother walked into the room, "Look at what Nik made."_

 _Finn walked over to his brothers, "What do you have there Niklaus?" He asked with a small encouraging smile towards his little brother._

 _"I drew a picture of us all." The boy said with an impish, yet proud smile._

 _"I found him some chalk near the falls." Elijah said with a smile, moving away from Nik to make space for Finn to sit in between them._

 _"That's you," Nik pointed towards one of the figures, with an almost nervous expression setting on his face as he waited for his brother's reaction, "and this is Eli and me, and then Kol and Beka," his lips curled over his little sister's name, still having small difficulties with how to pronounce it, "and mom." Nik finished with a grin. The image lay out on the floor before them, Finn the oldest standing next to Esther, who was holding baby Rebekah in her arms as Kol leant against Finn's leg and Elijah and Klaus sat on the floor._

 _"This is really good!" Finn exclaimed enthusiastically as Elijah nodded in agreement, "Where's father?" He asked slightly hesitantly. Nik stiffened slightly, his hand gently touching his upper arm and he grimaced. Elijah lightly tapped Finn, warning him this wasn't a good topic right now, but this only furthered Finn's confusion._

 _"I didn't want him in it." Finn frowned._

 _"Why not Niklaus?" He asked, deciding to ignore Elijah's warning to not press the subject._

 _"He's mean." The boy replied, "He hurts me." He added in a quiet voice. Finn frowned again, this image of his father that Niklaus was describing wasn't necessarily that new to Finn, he'd seen the way that Mikael glared at his son, but physical abuse? Mikael had never laid a hand on him, nor Elijah, there was no rational response that could enable Finn to understand why his character would have changed so much that he abused Niklaus._

 _"He won't like this picture Niklaus." Finn warned him adopting the persona of the oldest brother, and the primary heir to the Mikaelson name, "Go wash it out," He turned around to his little brother who was glaring stubbornly at him, unmoving, "Now!" Finn ordered, causing Nik to scamper out of the room in search of water and some rags._

 _"Finn, come on, its just a drawing." Elijah pleaded, and Finn understood that to Elijah he was being a mean and controlling brother. But Finn also understood that this drawing would make Mikael angry, and upset even, and Finn didn't want his father to be upset, and whilst Finn didn't believe Nik's insinuations of physical abuse, an angry Mikael wasn't a good Mikael._

 _"A drawing in open defiance of our father." Finn replied, "Niklaus needs to learn." Finn paused slightly, hesitating before he continued, "It would be good if he stopped spreading lies about our father as well, if the village found out," He paused again, "Father could lose some business."_

 _"They aren't lies." Elijah retorted angrily, "I've seen the bruises, it's like he hates Nik, for no reason." Elijah said accusatorily, always being the protective brother, standing up for Nik, Finn had never fit into that role as well, focussing more on making his father proud of him._

 _"Our father's a good man." Finn replied confidently. Elijah may not have known him before Freya had died, but Finn did, and Mikael had always been a loving and kind father - and Finn would be the first to admit that Mikael had changed since losing his daughter, but what father wouldn't be affected by that? His sons should show empathy and understanding, compassion towards their parents. Perhaps now Rebekah was born Mikael would become softer again, in having another daughter, Finn mused, reflecting on his childhood (for at 15 he was no longer a child, but a man), no, he assured himself, his father would never lay a hand on any of his sons. "Niklaus is probably just being picked on by the village kids for being..."_

 _"For being what?" Elijah countered bitterly,_

 _"Weak." Finn snarled at the same time as Nik came into the door way with a bucket and some rags, tears already forming in his eyes as he heard his oldest brother's words. Finn felt some regret at his words - but it isn't as if they weren't true, Niklaus was never the most masculine of children, always obsessed with drawing and arts and crafts, making things pretty instead of manual labour. Finn hoped that at the very least some tough love would make his brother stronger, for men who weren't strong in this era never tended to fare well._

* * *

"Finn." Klaus snarled as he wrapped his arm over his brother's shoulder, "I believe we need to have a talk."

"Do we now brother?" Finn replied, pushing Klaus' arm off of him,

"Yes, brother, we do." Elijah answered him, a calculated yet menacing glare being thrown in his older brother's direction.

"And, what may this inquiry be about?" Finn asked, pushing up a façade of confidence despite the increasingly feeling like he was a deer that two lions were hunting.

"Caroline." Klaus responded, shoving his brother up against the wall and allowing the blood to rush to his eyes which turned golden, and his fangs protruded from his mouth. "She has some," he paused, "beliefs now, that just don't seem to be very like her." Klaus finished, tightening his grip on his brother as he pressed his arm towards against his neck.

"People change Niklaus, things change, it has been a thousand years-"

"Not for her." Klaus interrupted. "Don't even try to weasel your way out of this - we know what you did."

Finn straightened slightly - though with Klaus pressing him up against the wall it didn't exactly make him seem threatening - "Then you know that I can't undo it." He replied calmly, trying to find some semblance of having the upper hand.

"Oh that may be true brother," Elijah said, his right hand loosening his cufflinks on his left sleeve before rolling it up, "But we can." He continued, pulling out a dagger from his pocket, causing Finn's eyes to widen in fear.

"You?" He asked, "You work with Niklaus after he daggers you and puts you in a coffin for decades."

"To be fair, it wasn't even a year this time." Klaus interrupted with a smirk,

"A little hypocritical, brother, for you have been working with mother to try and kill us. Permanently." Elijah stated calmly.

"Don't dagger me, please." Finn said pleading towards Elijah - having no faith in Klaus' ability to have empathy. "You don't know what it is like, spending centuries and centuries like that - it isn't just like sleeping and waking up, after a while you become aware, left to foster in your thoughts, paralysed and unable to move. It's hell." Finn begged, and for a second he almost thought he saw a flicker of guilt in Klaus' eyes, as his brother's grip on him loosened slightly.

"Why'd you have to go after Caroline though?" His brother asked him, his voice taking a softer tone.

"Because she's your weakness." Finn replied, "Because you love her."

* * *

 **AN/ I'll try and update more frequently now for reasons obvious to anyone who's aware of anything going on in the world at the moment/ Sorry this chapter is really short!**


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